Influence of an ice hockey game on power and speed-strength abilities of professional ice hockey players

Purpose Given the high density of the competition schedule, the importance of injury prevention and development of athletes' fitness levels has led coaches to implement training sessions following the end of ice hockey games. However, the influence of physical activity during the game on the expression of physical abilities and training effectiveness remains unclear. Studying this subject will help increase the efficacy of the training process and reduce the occurrence of injuries. Aim Investigation of the influence of physical activity during the ice hockey game on speed-strength abilities and power of professional ice hockey players. Comparison of speed-strength abilities and power of professional ice hockey players during training days and game days in the competition period. Methods 1. Literature review. 2. Testing. 3. Survey. 4. Descriptive statistics. 5. Statistical analysis. Subjects: 30 professional ice hockey players aged 20.1 +/- 4.5 years, height 184.1 +/- 5.0 cm, body mass 86.2 +/- 8.1 kg. Results An increase (p < 0.01) in squat jump height (+ 11.77%) and power (+ 5.76%), as well as in countermovement jump height (+ 9.92%) and power (+ 4.77%) of professional ice hockey players was recorded post-game. Indicators of speed-strength abilities and power of professional ice hockey players were superior (p < 0.01) on the game days compared to the training days. Conclusion The period following the end of the game is optimal for the development of speed-strength abilities and power of professional ice hockey players.