Patrick Delisle-Houde
Published: 2017
Total Pages:
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"Ice hockey continually overloads the athletes with limited time for recovery, which may induce fatigue and affect the physical condition. The monitoring over time of collegiate hockey player's physiological responses to submaximal stress and body composition can reflect physical fitness fluctuations. In-season physical fitness assessments can help players, team coaches or strength and conditioning professional better tailor their training program to optimize performance and well-being among their players. Two separate studies took place in this investigation. The first study's purpose was to identify changes in physiological responses and body composition profiles over the competitive season in male and female collegiate ice hockey players and to identify between-sex differences. The second study's purpose was to determine the changes in internal load perception during a short 4-minute submaximal physiological assessment over a competitive season in collegiate ice hockey players. In the first study, forty-four players, twenty-four males, and twenty females participated in 4-minutes submaximal exercise tests and body composition assessment at pre-season, mid-season and end-season. Changes in physiological parameters and body composition were analyzed using repeated measures ANCOVA controlling for age and between-sex mean changes were analyzed using one-way ANOVA. Men's post-exercise blood lactate concentration decreased (p ≤ 0.05) from pre- to mid-season and both sexes increased (p ≤ 0.05) the concentration from mid- to end-season. Heart rate increased (p ≤ 0.05) after the 3rd and 4th minutes of the test in both sexes from pre- to end-season and from mid- to end-season. Males' body fat percentage decreased (p ≤ 0.05) from pre- to mid-season, while increases were observed (p ≤ 0.05) in both sexes from mid- to end-season. This study produced evidence that male and female collegiate hockey athletes' physiological responses and body composition profiles change over the season. Detraining was observed in both sexes in the second half of the season. In the second study, from the previous study, internal load ratios were created from the 4-minutes submaximal exercise and participants completed a subjective fatigue questionnaire before physical testing at pre-season, mid-season, and end-season. Changes in the internal load ratios and subjective fatigue scores at the three time-points were analyzed using repeated measures ANCOVA controlling for age and sex. HR-RPE ratio after the 1st and 2nd minute were lower at end-season compared to pre-season (F (1,41) =2.855, p ≤ 0.05). BL-RPE ratio was higher at mid-season compared to pre-season (F (1,41) =2.855, p ≤ 0.05), was lower at end-season compared to mid-season. A subjective rating (RPE) of effort in relation to physiological responses (HR, BL) might be an efficient way of assessing internal loading and fatigue in collegiate hockey players. The findings of each study can have important implications for the performance and well-being of collegiate athletes and help team coaches better tailor training programs. Maintaining an ideal level of physical fitness throughout the competitive university season would help the collegiate player maintain or improve both athletic and academic performance, increase their health, well-being, and reduce fatigue. " --