Lifetime Hockey - Conditioning

One of the biggest fallacies in hockey is the idea that the more hockey you play, the more fit you become - “I’m going to get in shape by playing more hockey.” This is true to a degree, but to play hockey at any level requires consistent conditioning and exercise off the ice too.

In a scheduled game the only exercise you receive is during “your shift.” It is impossible to build muscle strength, aerobic and anaerobic capacity in short shifts during the course of a timed game. It can help, but you are only fooling yourself when you rely solely upon the game to get into condition to play hockey. Hockey players need to condition themselves at a higher level than they will ever experience in a game.

Another fallacy is that your genes determine how fast your can run or skate. “I was born slow.” Untrue. Utilizing plyometrics and other exercise techniques a player can actually become quicker and faster. You might have been born slower than other players, but that does not mean you cannot get faster.

To be fit to play you should understand the major aspects of conditioning and exercise and then develop a pre-season and in-season training program.

Aerobic Training
Aerobic capacity is basically how long a player can go without “running out of breath” and how quickly the player can recover from physical exertion. Aerobic training conditions lungs, heart and the circulatory system for the stress of physical activity. Aerobic conditioning supplies the energy for low intensity exercise over a long duration. Good aerobic conditioning allows a player to recover more completely between shifts. A player is relying upon aerobic capacity after their shift in hockey, while sitting on the bench breathing heavily, taking in more oxygen and then recovering to go back out on the next shift.

To build aerobic capacity start simply. If you have access to a stair stepper, stationary bike, rowing machine or a ski machine you can build your aerobic capacity as well as leg or arm strength. Of course you can run, skip rope or skate too. Assess your starting level and build-up your capacity from there. Keep a record on a 4 by 6 cards or in your calendar. You can also assess your capacity by the amount of time it takes to run or bike a certain distance or during a timed period. This assessment is a good starting point for recognizing progress in increasing aerobic capacity.

Jogging or running is excellent in building aerobic capacity. In bad weather, try a treadmill. Of course, recreational ice skating or in-line skating is excellent in building aerobic capacity while improving your skating ability as well. Bicycling can also build aerobic capacity and uses muscle groups very similar to those used during skating. A bike (regular or stationary) is also less harsh to your knees.

For aerobic conditioning to be effective, the heart rate must be raised to at least 150 beats per minute and maintained at that level of intensity for a minimum of twenty minutes. An age specific guide is calculated by subtracting your age from 170; this should be your target rate and as your conditioning increases, subtract your age from 200 beats per minute. After five minutes of exercise you should be close to your target rate and should try to maintain it for the duration of the exercise. Rest breaks (slower jogging or pedaling) are permitted until the athlete is able to achieve a higher level of conditioning. Aerobic conditioning of 20 minutes four or five times a week creates an excellent base for anaerobic exercise.

A reminder—stretch your muscles after exercise. Light stretching before exercising is helpful, but stretching after exercise is critical for several reasons. It reduces muscle soreness and increases your flexibility which helps prevent injury. We will discuss stretching techniques and their importance after a hockey game later in this chapter.

Anaerobic capacity.
What is it? Anaerobic means literally “without air.” It is important to increase it because it conditions your body for the short bursts of energy needed while playing hockey. Your body’s anaerobic capacity supplies most of the energy needed for hockey. Hockey players are constantly fighting fatigue both during a hockey shift and as a game progresses. That is why the average hockey shift should be 45 to 60 seconds in length. You will notice a significant decline in energy levels and skill execution the longer the shift.

Fatigue is caused by lactic acid which builds up in the muscles and blood. Lactic acid builds up in both the upper and lower body and leads to slower movement and the burning sensation in the muscles that is sometimes felt at the end of a shift.

Anaerobic conditioning enhances stamina which allows a player to compete for a longer period of time before the accumulation of lactic acid in the body exceeds its ability to remove it. In addition, the body becomes more efficient and produces less lactic acid and fosters lactic acid toleration. You become used to it and helps you to “gut it out” at the end of a shift or during a key moment when additional reserves are needed.

Interval training is an effective anaerobic conditioning technique because it alternates intense physical effort with periods of rest. Interval training mirrors what a player experiences while playing hockey. Intense (full-out) wind sprints followed by a rest period of two to three times the exercise period is an example of interval training. Run as hard as you can for forty yards and then walk for a few minutes (at least until you stop panting). Then run a one hundred yard dash et cetera. Again with a two to three time interval rest period. Interval training prior to the hockey season is an excellent anaerobic conditioning program.

Another interval training exercise is to run up and down stairs. Run up and down a staircase three times and then rest a few minutes. Continue to repeat. Stair exercises have the added advantage of improving the dexterity of your feet.

Strength Training
Building strong leg, arm and abdominal muscles along with other muscle groups will assist in the execution of hockey fundamentals and the enjoyment of the game. All strength training involves the microscopic tearing of the muscle fibers by exceeding their capacity to move a weight or resist a force. As the body rebuilds the fibers, strength increases.

Strong leg and arm muscles will increase a player’s ability to maintain balance on their skates and increase the force exerted while skating. Strength is also useful in the corners when you are pushing an opposing player in order to get the puck. Many times you may wonder how a player can shoot that hard slap shot or skate so fast ?—much of it has to do with muscle strength.

There are innumerable types of strength training equipment available including machines, bar weights and dumbbells to the simple pushup and chin-up. Some hockey programs have embraced certain strength training systems and have had success on the rink. For example, a few years ago Nautilus was used by the U.S. Olympic Hockey team and more recently the national champion Boston University Terriers used the air pressure system called Kaiser.

The best approach is to consult with a personal or weight trainer at the gym for assistance in designing a strength training program.

Whatever system or equipment chosen, start out with an aerobic workout first to warm-up and to stretch all muscles groups. Jog, bike or stair step. Then start strength training with the largest muscles groups—the legs and buttocks. Do leg lifts, leg pushes, quadriceps lifts and so on. Then move to the upper body’s muscle groups. Be sure to alternate muscles groups—if you work the hamstrings be sure to work the quadriceps and if you work the abdominal muscles be sure to work the back muscles. These muscle groups complement each other and working one group without the other leads to weakness, instability and injury.

The basic principles of strength training is the amount of resistance or weight chosen for specific muscles, the number of repetitions, and the numbers of “sets” and how often you train. Again, there are innumerable strength training philosophies—everything from one set to three sets to every day to a rest day between.

Our philosophy is to keep it simple and to force yourself to continually progress in adding more weight or resistance and increasing the number of repetitions and sets. A day of rest between working muscle groups is a good idea.

A simple method is to begin with eight repetitions at a weight or resistance that is a challenge but not overwhelming. Do two sets. If you are able to complete two sets of eight repetitions, then increase to nine repetitions and when twelve repetitions is achieved for two sets, then increase the weight or resistance. A rest or recovery period between sets is helpful and can also help your attitude.

Try to include all of the muscles groups that are used in hockey in your strength training program. These include abdominal, back muscles, quadriceps, hamstrings, chest/shoulder, upper back, calf, biceps, ankle flexors, triceps, wrist flexors, and wrist extensors.[1]

In the off-season, in-line skating is an excellent training exercise. A player can practice skating while enhancing aerobic capacity and leg strength. Turns, cross-overs, swizzles and other maneuvers can be practiced on in-line skates. The inside and outsides of the wheels mimic the inside and outside edges of ice skates.

Backward skating can also be practiced with in-line skates. Be careful and practice backwards skating on only the most smooth surfaces, like a parking lot. The skating chapter also includes information on in-line skating.

For aerobic training, skate sprints and then skate slowly. Maintain a 3 or 4 to one ratio of slow skating to sprint skating. Strength training can be practiced by skating up hills or inclines. Skating longer distances will also increase leg strength.

Speed and Quickness
Speed and quickness are essential to the game of hockey. A player’s ability to get to a loose puck first and move up the rink are a key skill. Wrist quickness in shooting or intercepting a pass and for goaltenders good hand and foot quickness are all assets that can be improved through training. Speed and quickness training is very specific because the athlete is teaching certain muscles and nerve pathways to respond in a new way—quicker and faster.

Speed Training
Speed training involves an all-out effort for thirty to ninety seconds and the work to rest ratio should be 1:1 or 1:2. The speed training exercises should be repeated five to ten times and should be utilized on an every other day basis.

A good off-rink speed training exercise is to run as hard as you can for a distance which is timed at forty to ninety seconds. Start with thirty seconds and then walk back to the starting spot during the rest period and start again.

The same exercise can be achieved on the hockey rink utilizing marks on the rink. Skate as fast as you can for thirty to sixty seconds and skate back slowly to the starting point during the rest phase and repeat the exercise.

Quickness Training
Quickness training requires an “all out effort”, an exercise duration of five to ten seconds repeated six to twelve times several days a week. The rest interval between exercises should be five times the exercise period.[2]

An off the rink leg exercise program for quickness consists of running up an incline—it could be a hill or stairs in which the athlete runs up the incline as quickly as possible for ten seconds and then takes a fifty second rest before beginning the exercise again.

Arm quickness can be enhanced on the rink by shooting a puck or ball rapidly at a target on the boards for ten seconds and then again rest for fifty seconds and repeat.

Stretching and Flexibility
Stretching muscles increases a player’s flexibility which enhances range of motion and prevents injury. Before stretching muscles, a player needs to warm-up the muscles. A cold muscle does not easily stretch and is more likely to be injured. The best time to stretch is after exercise or a game because the muscles are sufficiently warmed up. Stretching after a hockey game or practice also helps prevent muscles soreness and injury.

Hockey players are in special need of flexibility - especially the lower back and legs. Due to the bent leg nature of skating, many hockey players are unable to fully extend their hamstrings muscles which leads to tight hamstrings. Tight hamstrings can lead to their injury or injuries to the lower back and to the groin. Special attention should be paid to the hamstrings, groin, lower back and hips. These muscles and joints are under stress while skating and executing the maneuvers required by hockey. Good flexibility in those areas will enhance a player’s ability to play hockey.

There are several types of stretching including static, dynamic, stretch-resistance, stretch relaxation and ballistic.[3] The discussion here is limited to static stretching because it is simpler. The average adult hockey player who in our experience rarely stretches either before or after a game is more likely to do static stretches.

Follow these rules while performing a static stretch. First, don’t over stretch—a good stretch is one where you feel a slight tension but it is still comfortable. Two, hold the stretch for twenty to thirty seconds. Third, move slowly into and out of the stretch in a fluid motion. Fourth, progressively move into the next stretch.

After the initial stretch of a muscle, back off and then progress a bit farther. Finally, always stretch a warm muscle. Warm it up - even five minutes of movement is better than stretching a cold muscle.

The biggest challenge for adult hockey players is finding a space large enough after a game to stretch. It seems as if most locker rooms were constructed for children and when you get ten or fifteen adults in there with all their equipment, it is next to impossible to find the space to stretch one’s hamstrings.

"I am always amazed when I see hockey players who skate around the rink once and then are along the board “winging” on their hamstrings. If they would only skate around a bit and warm up their hamstrings and then do their pre-game stretch they would substantially reduce their risk of injury." - Mark

Nutrition
Overweight hockey players are not effective and don’t have as much fun. This isn’t softball folks! A balanced diet is important. Consider a low fat diet—stick to low fat foods and stay away from most fast foods. A balanced diet of equal percentages of fats, carbohydrates and proteins is excellent.

Limit sugar and caffeine intake, especially deserts and candies. Keep hydrated—several glasses of water a day. Your body needs water significantly before you feel thirsty.

Pre-Game
What do you eat and drink before a game? How close to game-time can you eat? What stretches and warm ups should you do?

Food and Drink
Hydration is the key to pre-game conditioning. Drink several glasses of water or fill a water bottle and drink from it on the way to and before the game. Sufficient hydration will enhance the body’s ability to rebound from the stress during the course of the game.

A pre-game meal is an individual choice. Some players are able to eat a meal or a sandwich right up to game-time without apparent adverse effects. A prevailing view among players is that food should not be eaten any later than two hours prior to a game.

Eating food any closer to game-time may affect your ability to play in several ways. First, an upset stomach or heartburn is a possibility which is an unpleasant experience while you are being pushed to your physical limits. Second, the blood supply is directed to digesting food which takes it away from the supplying the muscles needed to play hockey. A meal close to game-time will deprive a player of needed energy for the game.

Stretching
Pre-game stretching enhances flexibility and helps prevent injuries. Until muscles are warmed up, aggressive stretching is counter productive. Pregame stretching to loosen up muscles can be performed in the locker room before putting on equipment. Consider the stretching exercises illustrated below.

Try pre-game stretching on the ice as a substitute or as a supplement to stretching in the locker room. Before stretching on the ice, skate several times around the rink first to warm-up arm and leg muscles. A mistake many hockey players make is to begin stretching their hamstrings before warming up their muscles. A cold muscle cannot be easily stretched and risks injury.

Exercises on the ice include hamstring stretches on the boards. This exercise is risky depending upon the player’s physical size, the height of the boards, the player’s ability to balance themselves on one skate, and the slipperiness rink’s surface. It is safer to stand on the bench side of the boards and stretch the hamstrings on the players’ bench or the boards.

Stretch the legs first then the arms. A good groin stretch is to place one leg behind while maintaining balance on the skate of the other leg. Leg kicks and calf stretches (pull one leg up by the ankle toward the torso while balancing on the flats of the other skate) are good pre-game stretching exercises.

A good back stretch is to go to the knees and bend backwards stretching the back and neck. Arms and wrists can be stretched by spinning the hockey stick like a baton in a twisting action. Another back and arm stretch is to place a hockey stick behind the back in an arching and uplifting action.

Goaltenders have an entire regiment of pre-game stretching which is outlined in Chapter 9 on Goaltending.

Post-Game
Most hockey players are unaware of the secret of post-game stretching. Stretching after an athletic event, especially a hockey game is the key to minimizing injury and reducing muscle soreness. It is surprising how few players know this.

Once the equipment is taken off, the same pre-game stretching routine should be followed. Sometimes this is difficult due to time constraints or the size of the locker rooms. At a minimum stretch the legs. Make sure to do a groin stretch, a calf stretch, and stretch the hamstrings.. This becomes more important over time as a player becomes older and less able to bounce back from the stress and strain of hockey. Continue to drink water after the game. Fill up the water bottle and drink it on the ride home!

Injuries and Treatment
Hockey players are prone to certain types of injuries due to the type of movement inherent in the game of hockey. These include back muscle strain or back ligament sprain, groin strains which could include a variety of injuries including hip flexor strain, adductor strain, and tendinitis condition in the hip, pelvis, and groin; hip injury, knee injury, shoulder injuries, wrist injury, hand and finger injuries, head and neck injuries including concussion and contusions, and dental injuries. Many of these injuries are common, e.g. “groin pulls” and others are rare, e.g. concussion.

"In the twelve years that I have played in the league, the only major injuries to a teammate of mine were two shoulder injuries from crashing into the boards. One player fractured and separated his should and the other separated his. Neither player was wearing shoulder pads at the time of the injury." - Mark

Bruises
Bruises can occur from a variety of different types of contact including hockey pucks, sticks, collisions, and boards. Treat using a cold pack to the bruise and after twenty-four hours, a warm and moist compress can be applied to the area.

Stay Fit and Play Great Hockey
Some days your team will not do well as a team. During these games you will have to rely on your individual skills and fitness to enjoy your time on the ice.

In other games, you will close in the third period. Your fitness edge will keep you sharp and help you win - even against better players who are starting to breathe hard!

End Notes:

[1] Two excellent conditioning resources that we recommend are Hockey Fitness, year-round Conditioning On and Off the Ice by Don MacAdam & Gail Reynolds (1988) and Complete Conditioning for Ice Hockey by Peter Twist (1997).

[2] Plyometrics is a new training concept that helps improve a player’s agility and quickness. Plyometrics are a series of exercises that involve jumping and rapid foot movements. It can be a risky exercise program but can provide incredible agility and quickness improvement. To read more about plyometrics read pages 107-144 in Complete Conditioning for Hockey by Peter Twist (1997).

[3] Static stretching involves a specific muscle and stretching it in a static or stationary position and hold the stretch for a period of time. Dynamic stretching is a combination of a warm-up and stretching routine with fluid through a joint’s full range of motion. Stretch-resistance involves stretching a muscle like the hamstring in which a partner holds the leg in a stretched position while the athlete attempts to push against the resistance of the partner. The leg is then relaxed and then moved into a great stretch and the resistance-relaxation is repeated. Stretch resistance should be conducted with a trained partner or a personal trainer. Ballistic stretching involves a bouncing action across the joint. Ballistic stretching is risky and can result in injury due to muscle tears.