This study quantified internal load, using sessional rating of perceived exertion (sRPE) and heart-rate derived training impulse (TRIMP), of female varsity ice hockey players throughout a season. Twenty-four female (19.8±1.4 yr, 68.0±6.9 kg) varsity ice hockey players participated in this prospective cohort study. Internal load was captured using sRPE and TRIMP for each on-ice session. Internal load was significantly higher (p<0.05) for games (sRPE: 324±202 AU, TRIMP: 95±60 AU) compared to training (sRPE: 248±120 AU, TRIMP: 68±32 AU). Overall, goalies had a higher internal load than forwards (sRPE and TRIMP) and defence (TRIMP), with no differences between forwards and defence. Micro-cycle periodization was present, with training sessions several days prior to game days having the highest internal load (sRPE and TRIMP) and tapering down as subsequent training sessions approached game day. For the meso-cycle assessment, for both training and competition combined, the post-season sRPE was greater than the pre-season (p=0.002) and regular season (p<0.001). Lastly, the association between sRPE and TRIMP, revealed a large, statistically significant relationship (r=0.592, p<0.001). Internal load was greater during competitions, training sessions and subsequent internal loads suggested prioritization around game days, the post-season phase demanded the highest internal load and there was a strong correlation between sRPE and TRIMP.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to quantify the internal load of male varsity ice hockey players, using both sessional rating of perceived exertion (sRPE) and the heart rate–derived physiological measure of training impulse (TRIMP), during training sessions and competitions throughout an entire season. Methods: Twenty-seven male varsity ice hockey players (22.1 [1.1] y, 85.9 [5.4] kg, 181.3 [5.1] cm) were included in this longitudinal prospective cohort study. Results: The internal load was significantly higher (P < .001) for games (sRPE: 403 [184] arbitrary units [AU], TRIMP: 98 [59] AU) compared with training sessions (sRPE: 281 [130] AU, TRIMP: 71 [35] AU). The regular season had the highest internal load compared with the preseason and postseason. There was evidence of microcycle periodization with training sessions several days prior to game days having the highest internal load (both sRPE and TRIMP) and tapering down as the subsequent training sessions approached game day. For positional comparisons, the goalies had higher sRPE (346 [151] AU, P < .001) and TRIMP (99 [64] AU, P < .001) compared with defense (sRPE: 295 [130] AU, TRIMP: 65 [29] AU) and forwards (sRPE: 264 [123] AU, TRIMP: 70 [30] AU) for training sessions, but no significant differences were present for competitions. Finally, there was an overall moderate and statistically significant relationship between the sRPE and TRIMP internal load measures (r = .434, P < .001). Conclusions: Internal load was greater during competitions versus training sessions in male varsity ice hockey players, and the microcycle assessment demonstrated that training sessions were tailored to game day. Mesocycle assessment revealed the highest internal loads during the regular season due to dense game scheduling and a short season.

Bigg, JL, Gamble, ASD, and Spriet, LL. Internal physiological load measured using training impulse in varsity men’s and women’s ice hockey players between game periods. J Strength Cond Res 35(10): 2824–2832, 2021—This study quantified internal load in male and female ice hockey players throughout a season, with comparisons between game periods and match outcome. Twenty-seven male and 24 female varsity ice hockey players participated in this longitudinal prospective cohort study monitoring internal load, using Banister’s training impulse (TRIMP). Data were assessed according to game periods, match outcome (win or loss), and games played in noncongested (1 game/wk) or congested (2 + games/wk) weeks. Statistical significance was considered at p < 0.05. The TRIMP for period 1 for both male (25 ± 16 arbitrary units [AU]) and female (23 ± 19 AU) players was significantly lower than period 3 (males: 30 ± 21 AU; p = 0.001; females: 29 ± 21 AU; p = 0.003) but not period 2 (males: 27 ± 17 AU; p = 0.183; females: 27 ± 19 AU; p = 0.681). There were no differences in TRIMP within any period between games resulting in a win compared with a loss. Overall, there were no differences in TRIMP between male and female players. However, when stratified by position, male forwards experienced greater TRIMP than female forwards (p < 0.001 for all periods), whereas female defense had greater TRIMP than male defense (p ≤ 0.032 for all periods). There were no differences between noncongested and congested week games and no differences in TRIMP between nonback-to-back and back-to-back games, or the first and second games played of a back-to-back series. This study measured physiological demand throughout the periods of ice hockey games in men and women and concluded that internal load was highest in the third period. Understanding the demands throughout a game can provide information to coaches and players that would be useful in managing fatigue and optimizing physical performance.

PurposeThe purposes of this study were to quantify the external load for female and male varsity ice hockey players during regular season games using a local positioning system (LPS), compare LPS-derived external load between sexes and positions, and compare skating distances in absolute and relative speed zones.MethodsData were collected for 21 female (7 defense, 14 forwards; 20.0 ± 1.4 yrs., 69.1 ± 6.7 kg, 167.1 ± 5.4 cm) and 25 male (8 defense, 17 forwards; 21.9 ± 1.1 yrs., 85.9 ± 5.4 kg, 181.1 ± 5.2 cm) varsity ice hockey players. Measures included skating distance (total, and in absolute and relative speed zones), peak skating speed, peak acceleration and deceleration, accumulative acceleration load, and number of accelerations, decelerations, turns, skating transitions, direction changes, and impacts.ResultsFemale and male players had a high external load during games, with average peak skating speeds &gt;28 km/h and average skating distances &gt;4.4 km. Most LPS-derived measures showed greater external load in males than females (p &lt; 0.05). Forwards skated further at higher speeds compared to defense in both sexes (p &lt; 0.001). Skating distances were significantly different when comparing absolute and relative speed zones (p &lt; 0.001), with absolute speed zones potentially overestimating skating at very slow, very fast, and sprint speeds and underestimating skating at slow and moderate speeds.ConclusionThis was the first study to measure external load in female ice hockey players with a LPS. Both female and male varsity players had high external loads during games, with forwards having greater external load at higher intensities and defense having greater external load at lower intensities. Sex and positional differences outline the importance of individualized athlete monitoring.

Bigg, JL, Gamble, ASD, Vermeulen, TF, Bigg, LM, and Spriet, LL. Sweat loss and fluid intake of female varsity ice hockey players during on-ice practices and games. J Strength Cond Res 34(2): 389–395, 2020—Sweat losses of ∼1.5–2% body mass (BM) during exercise impairs athletic performance in stop and go sports such as ice hockey. The study examined the pre-exercise hydration status, sweat loss, fluid and carbohydrate (CHO) intake, and sodium balance of female hockey players. Twenty-four female varsity hockey players were tested during 2 practices and 4 games. Data analyses were performed using a level of significance of p ≤ 0.05. Over 70% of players arrived at the practices and ∼50% of players arrived at the game mildly dehydrated. Before the high- (P1) and low-intensity (P2) practices, players consumed an average of 0.19 ± 0.14 and 0.15 ± 0.13 L. Before the games, mean fluid intake was 0.39 ± 0.19 L. The sweat rate during P1 was significantly greater than P2 (p = 0.006), but there was no significant difference in total fluid intake between practices (p = 0.279). Consequently, the average BM loss for P1 was significantly greater than that for P2 (p = 0.016). Sweat loss during games was 1.01 ± 0.29 L and fluid intake was 0.70 ± 0.43 L, resulting in minimal BM losses (<1% BM for all players). CHO intake during games was 39.2 ± 22.8 g, with 19/20 players consuming CHO before or during the intermissions of the game. Sweat sodium losses were 0.64 ± 0.34 and 0.32 ± 0.18 g·h−1 for P1 and P2, and 0.83 ± 0.38 g during the game. In conclusion, female ice hockey players replaced the fluid they lost through sweat during practices and games and maintained adequate hydration. Players also consumed adequate CHO during games from the CHO containing food and drinks provided.