Physical Preparation For Ice Hockey

Assessment

In order to appropriately prescribe training loads for an athlete, the coach should highly consider screening for any bodily imbalances. This gives us coaches the ability to detect and assess static posture, dynamic movements, in addition to any asymmetries that may be present. It is important to take the Functional Movement Screening with a grain of salt. It can be a great tool to add to the toolbox but athletes who may have trouble squatting could also be an elite level sprinter. I believe a top tier approach would be to have an understanding in common musculoskeletal imbalances within that sport and integrate correctives into the training program.

Three Types of Athletes

Assessment Overview

Subjective Information

• Health History

• Needs Analysis

Postural/Movement-Based Tests

• Static Posture (Sagittal/Posterior/Horizontal)

• Table Assessments (Special Tests)

• FMS

Fitness-Based Tests

• Strength Testing

• Lactic (PCR)

• Alactic (Glycolysis)

• Aerobic

Needs Analysis For the Player

Injuries

• Does the player have current injuries, previous surgery, and/or any other issues that may possibly effect performance?

What are the qualities needed to be a successful Hockey Player?

• Requires acceleration, change of direction, transition, speed, power, and capacity

• Must sustain power output relative to 60 minutes of a hockey game pending position, total ice time and certain on-ice situation such as powerplay, penalty kill, and overtime

What kind of player are you?

• Power forward, skilled finesse player?

• Does the player need to watch their body composition? Increase or decrease weight or fat?

What kind of player does your coach want you to become?

• What does your coach think you need to improve on? This could include acceleration, overall game conditioning, strength, power, mental toughness, starting strength work?

What are the energy demands of the sport? Work to Rest Ratio?

• Ice hockey is a game involving high intensity, short-duration sprints

• There is a demand on both anaerobic and aerobic energy systems. Having a high capacity aerobic energy system will improve post "ice-shift" recovery, whereas developing a strong anaerobic system will help condition max effort within those "shifts"

• Allow proper rest between games and practices during the year

• Off-season conditioning should match gameplay intensity or slightly higher

• The Work to Rest Ratio can vary from 1:5 to 1:1

What are the positional demands? Forward, defense, or goalie?

• Hockey position may affect energy system training dependent on neural/power demands or metabolic/capacity

• Goalies (Neural/Power)

• Defense (Metabolic/Capacity)

• Forward (Between Goalies and Defense)

Common Injuries Associated with Ice Hockey

• Injuries in-game (Athlete to athlete trauma)

  • • 13.5% Knee

    • 8.9% AC Joint Injuries

    • 6.2% Upper Leg Contusions

    • 4.5% Pelvis and Hip Muscle Strains

Movement Screen Observations in Hockey Players

Poor Ankle Mobility

Hockey skates are extremely stiff boots that inhibit ankle flexion (Dorsiflexion: Toes to the ceiling). If ankle mobility is poor, the next joint up the chain is going to take over to try to achieve the needed range of motion. This will cause energy leaks and can even cause knee pain. The player's center of gravity is directly correlated to ankle dorsiflexion, poor posture will not allow the player to use the achilles tendon stretch reflex.

Poor Shoulder Mobility

Having poor shoulder mobility is very common amongst hockey players. There could be many reasons for this bodily imbalance. The simple answer could be from sitting in prolonged slumped posture or even poor training habits in the weight room (I.e. focusing on setting a bench press PR) a.k.a too many pushing movements and not enough pulling. Shoulders tend to be more internally rotated and need to be opened up via external rotation.

Hip Flexor Impairment

The best test to determine if the player has a problem with their hip flexors is during the hurdle step in the FMS. If the athlete fails to keep the hips neutral during single leg stance, this may mean synergist muscles such as the TFL and rectus femoris. These muscles may compensate due to the failure of the psoas and illacus to fire.

Hip Impingement

Hockey players develop structural changes to the bone in their hips which limit hip range of motion. There are two noticeable impingements that can happen. A Cam is where the bone that sits in the hip ball and socket joint (the widest part of the ball edge) is wider than the joint capsule. This will rub on the lip of the hip socket during hip flexion, abduction, and internal rotation. A Pincer is where the hip socket is deeper including a smaller diameter or longer lip of the hip joint. It is possible to have a mix of Pincer and Cam type of Femoral Acetabulum Impingement (FAI). According to a study, Philippon 2013, by the time players are 15 years old, roughly 2/3 will already have some sort of structural adaptation that limits hip range of motion and damage to the hip labrum.

Special FAI Tests

Adduction Drop Test / Ober's Test

This test provides a baseline of pelvic position. If the player cannot adduct past their midline or if the athlete falls into excessive extension, the test results is positive. The reasoning behind this may be due to an anteriorly tipped left innominate or bilateral pelvic position which is caused by excessive demands on the hip flexors due to prolonged static posture in the skating stance.

Anteversion-Retroversion / Craig's Test

This test provides a baseline of pelvic position. If the player cannot adduct past their midline or if the athlete falls into excessive extension, the test results is positive. The reasoning behind this may be due to an anteriorly tipped left innominate or bilateral pelvic position which is caused by excessive demands on the hip flexors due to prolonged static posture in the skating stance. The normal range during this test is 5 to 15 degrees. If the hockey player has greater than 15 degrees anteversion of the hips this means the athlete would be required to internally rotate the hip in order to be properly positioned. If the femoral condyle is less than 5 degrees retroversion the hockey player will have to externally rotate in order to allow the head of the femur to properly sit in the hip joint. Anteverted hip perform best with flexion but are compromised during extension. Retroverted hips are the opposite, they will be compromised during flexion but perform better during extension. Retroverted hips may limit squat depth. This is why during a squat you don't want to force the feet of the athlete straight ahead without knowing their hip anatomy. Deep flexion and internal rotation may cause the head of the femur to impinge on the hip socket causing friction resulting in chronic pain.

Hip Flexor / Thomas Test

This test is designed to identify hip flexor length and hip positioning. When performing the test, the athlete must make sure their hips are in a neutral position. If the hips are anteriorly tilted during the test, the psoas will have slack resulting in a false positive. The femur will actually catch up on the lip of the hip joint. If the hip remains in a neutral position and the leg fails to touch the table the test will be positive.

Other Non-FAI Test / Dorsi-flexion Test

Ankle mobility is another crucial aspect to the game of hockey. Hockey players are locked in a firm boot which limits ankle movement. Poor ankle mobility can lead to the knees taking on more force. In the DF Test, if the player cannot reach the wall with their knee the test is positive. It is important to incorporate constant ankle mobility work throughout their program regardless.

Preparation

Foam Rolling

The idea behind foam rolling can get quite dense. The simple answer is to promote blood flow and relax the muscle. Think of the fascia around the muscle as saran wrap. By foam rolling this will break up the fascia clinging to the muscle allowing drainage of the lymphatic system bringing in "healing fluids" and removing "waste fluids". Another theory is that stimulating the golgi tendon organs in the musculotendinous junction, the overwhelming pressure of the stimuli(foam roller) will send a signal to the brain to relax the muscle preventing traumatic injury. Then the relaxed muscles will expose "trigger points" in the muscle belly where nerve conduction may be impeded.

Activation

Tight muscles can cause an imbalance on relative joint structures. For example, overactive (shortened) hip flexors are going to pull the hips in an anterior tilted position. Activation drills are to restore appropriate tension within the body. Muscle tension is different than muscle shortness. Visualize a hockey player in an active skating position, there's going to be constant tension on the hip flexors. Now imagine sitting in a chair, the hip is still in flexion but passively since the chair is acting as support. Here the muscle is shortened and sarcomeres are lost. Having increased tension is an evolutionary protective mechanism for the nervous system to avoid injury and protect weak or overused muscles. The central nervous system has a similar response during a maximal lift. If the athlete physically can't lift a 1RM load, the central nervous system turns on and does not allow the athlete's muscles to contract because there's a high risk for injury. This mechanism may cause length tension problems, pain, and performance decrements.

Adjacent Stiffness

Creating adjacent stiffness may be the key to adjusting anterior pelvic tilt in players. Athletes having a anterior pelvic tilt is putting the hips in a mechanical disadvantage. Tight and over active hip flexors/adductors may compromise position, generating a tug of war battle. The tight facilitated muscle group will always win. In order to restore tissue length of the hip flexors and adductors, anterior core stiffness is vital. The way to create core stiffness (anterior core) is to learn how to properly breathe.

Exercises to create core stiffness;

• Prone Plank

• PRI 90/90 with Balloon

• Seated Breathing with Balloon

• Lat Hang with Balloon

• Long Lever Anti-Rotation (Targeting external obliques)

Agonistic Strength

Going back to overactive hip flexors, muscles on the opposing side of the chain, the glutes in this case may be weak and/or inhibited. This could lead to many different lower-extremity issues such as low back pain (very common), or even hamstring pulls (much less common in hockey), groin pulls, and femoral anterior glide syndrome. When programming activation/antagonistic strength for hockey players, as coaches we must think of all the muscles that directly oppose the hockey position (Glute max, hamstrings, and posterior shoulder complex).

Exercises for Reciprocal Inhibition;

• Supported Single Leg Hip Lift

• Unsupported Single Leg Hip Lift

• Cook Hip Lift

• Single Leg Hip Lift Leg Extension

• Kneeling Band W's (For posterior shoulder complex)

Flexibility on Tissue Length

When a muscle lengthened, actin fibers move away from myosin filaments placing stretch on the myofiber. The result of this is decreased power output and decrease in performance gains. Static stretching prior to a high central nervous system task or power work may not be the best idea, however, if static stretching is performed with appropriate progressions to a dynamic warmup, it may be fine.

Tissue Length Exercises;

• Wall Rectus Femoris Stretch

• Posterior Hip Stretch

• Psoas Stretch

Mobility vs. Flexibility

It is important to note that mobility and flexibility are not the same thing. Flexibility is the range of motion surrounding a joint and many times it is limited to one or two joints. Mobility is the ability to reach a desired posture or movement. Mobility is affected by previous injuries, osseous alignment, poor posture, overworked facilitated muscle groups, and poor movement quality. Increased mobility, enabling the hockey player to have greater movement efficiency within a greater total range. This simple adjustment is one of the quickest ways to build faster, more powerful skaters.

How to Improve Stride Length & Stride Frequency

1. Improve Technique (Dependent on strength and mobility)

2. Improve Mobility

3. Improve Relative Strength

Obtaining appropriate mobility of the ankles and hips have direct correlation to enhance stride length, which also increases skater efficiency (output relative to the cost of input), in addition to express force for longer periods of time. Mobility improves impulse, where impulse is the product of force and time. Mobility has tangible effects on an athlete's ability to enhance acceleration and speed.

On Ice Acceleration

1. Forward lean of the body

2. Positive shin angle, allowing for maximal force production. Think for dry land training too

3. Fast arms enable for quicker turnover of the legs

Naked Bar complexes simply take place of the dynamic warm-up if there is minimal time. The naked bar complexes serve to prepare the desired motor pattern and functional range of motion. Essentially the exercise becomes the warm-up.

Bioenergetics of Hockey

Hockey players are usually on the ice for 45-60 second shifts at a time. However, very rarely does a player skate 100% max effort for the whole duration. Instead, the hockey players fill their shifts with small acceleration bursts, coasting, and gliding. As previously mentioned, hockey is primarily an alactic sport (does not create lactic acid) but does also have aerobic like qualities especially in the recovery. The average hockey player spends 12-20 shifts per game on the ice and the average rest period of 225 seconds (3mins45sec). The rest interval between periods is fifteen minutes. It has been estimated that 70%-80% of energy system for hockey is derived from the alactic and lactic systems (anaerobic). It is crucial to develop a solid foundation of aerobic fitness as this type of conditioning serves to offset exercise-induced metabolic waste (Hydrogen ions, lactic acid, carbon dioxide, etc.) and enhance recovery. Other factors that can decide which energy system is predominant are intensity level per shift, game situation, and the motivation of the player.

Task-Specific Energy System Demands

Bioenergetics Ideologies

Hockey Bioenergetics Ideology #1

The Sport-Specific Camp

This type of ideology depicts the breakdown of energy pathways experienced in sport. The quantified breakdown of energy pathways through research found anaerobic glycolysis and the phosphocreatine energy systems provided roughly 70% and oxidative phosphorylation 30%. Based on this evidence, a coach should spend roughly 70% of the time developing anaerobic abilities and 30% aerobic abilities.

Hockey Bioenergetics Ideology #2

Short, Medium, Long-Term Camp

Another belief is that sports should be evaluated on it's demands relative to short (45sec-2mins), medium (2mins-8mins), and long-term endurance (8+ mins). The majority of training should be spent in ideal zones relative to sporting demands. IF a hockey player lacks acceleration or the "first-step" ability, more time should be spent in the short-term endurance camp. If the player lacks aerobic power or capacity, which could include trouble with recovery, more time shoulder be spend in the medium-endurance zone. Most players in ice hockey would spend very little time in the long-term endurance camps.

Hockey Bioenergetics Ideology #3

The Aerobic Camp

There's a third ideology in terms of hockey bioenergetic training which holds upon an extensive base of aerobic capacity. Training starts with aerobic development. That is a prerequisite upon anaerobic abilities are built in maintained. Aerobic is the foundation, followed by lactic anaerobic, and the top of the pyramid would be alactic anaerobic capacity training.

Benefits of Aerobic Training in Hockey

• Increase V02 Max (Increased Stroke Volume, Oxygen extraction via mitochondrial and capillary density) *Promotes recovery

• Increase Anaerobic Threshold (Occurs around 60-70% of V02 Max) Where lactate builds up faster than it can clear

• Increase Anaerobic Threshold as a percentage of V02 Max (You can train this!! Can't train max HR!!)

• Enhances the ability to oxidize pyruvate, preventing build up of catabolic hormones that limit muscle contraction

• Delay declining muscle pH levels (Slows myoglobin becoming more acidic)

• Increase recovery

• Increase Parasympathetic Tone (Slows down heart rate)

How to Map Out an Annual Training Plan

Annual Plan Breakdown

Yearly Schedule

Full Year Program

Other Re-Conditioning Modalities