Power and Strength Profiles of Elite 16-20 Years Old Ice Hockey Players

Abstract

The sport of ice hockey has received considerable attention from researchers interested in the energy systems supporting high level competition. For example, Bonen and Babincau, 1977, Ferguson. Marcotte and Montpetit, 1969, and Montpetit, Ferguson and Marcotte, 1971 investigated the V02 max. of hockey players using various measurement and statistical prediction techniques. Other researchers have speculated that the nature of ice hockey requires high levels of anaerobic energy and the ability to recover quickly from a bout of high intensity exercise (Green, Bishop, Houston, McKillop, Norman and Stothart, 1976; Montpetit, Binetto and Taylor, 1969; Smith, Wenger and Quinney, Sexsmith and Steadward, 1980, Watson and Sargeant, 1986). At present, there is little evidence of attempts to correlate physiological power to mechanical power of ice hockey players. Since skating, which is central to the game of hockey, requires a great deal of leg power, this variable would seem to be a basic prerequisite of effective performance. The purpose of the present study, therefore, was to investigate power and strength relationships in elite 16-20 year old ice hockey players. More specifically, an attempt was made to describe the relationships between various anaerobic power measures and the mechanical power exhibited by the leg muscles during a vertical jump task.