Abstract
PurposeThis randomized, double-blind, crossover study examined the effects of mouth-rinsing (MR) with a carbohydrate (CHO) vs. a placebo (PLA) solution on external and internal loads in hydrated ice hockey players during regulation and overtime (OT) periods of an on-ice scrimmage.MethodsTwelve skilled male hockey players (22.6 [3.4] years, 178.9 [4.7] cm, 84.0 [6.5] kg) played three 20-min regulation periods and one 12-min OT period of small-sided 3-on-3 scrimmage. Skaters repeated 2 min shift and rest intervals. Participants mouth rinsed with 25 mL of CHO or PLA solution approximately every 10 min for a total of 7 rinses. A local positioning system (LPS) tracked external load variables including speed, distance, acceleration, and deceleration. Internal load was monitored with heart rate (HR) sensors and a rating of perceived exertion (RPE).ResultsDuring regulation play, both the conditions developed similar fatigue, with significantly decreased high-intensity distance, average speed and decelerations, and increased RPE, from period 1 to 2 and 3. In OT, CHO MR increased the distance skated at high-intensity (224 [77], 185 [66] m, p = 0.042), peak speed (24.6 [1.6], 23.7 [1.3] km·h−1, p = 0.016), number of sprints (1.9 [1.2], 1.2 [0.9], p = 0.011), and decreased distance skated at slow speed (300 [33], 336 [47], p = 0.034) vs. PLA MR. OT RPE was similar between the two conditions in spite of more work done in CHO MR.ConclusionsCHO MR may be a valuable practice to protect against decrements in external load with increased playing time in ice hockey, and possibly allows athletes to perform more work relative to perceived levels of exertion.
Highlights
Ice hockey is an intermittent high-intensity team sport that requires explosive power, speed, muscular strength, and superior anaerobic and aerobic capacities [1–6]
The principle findings of this study were: [1] in regulation, there was a similar development of fatigue across both MR conditions from period 1 to 2 and 3, observed as decreases in external load metrics of total distance, highintensity distance, number of decelerations, and average speed, and increases in internal load metrics of peak heart rate (HR), average HR, training impulse (TRIMP), and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), [2] CHO MR did not attenuate the decreases in external load and increases in internal load during regulation play, [3] in OT, peak speed, high-intensity distance, and number of sprints were greater with CHO over placebo solutions (PLA) MR, but [4] there were no differences in HR, TRIMP, or RPE between conditions in OT, despite elevated external loads with CHO MR
This study demonstrated that CHO MR alone, without CHO ingestion, can produce beneficial effects on physical performance in hydrated male ice hockey players
Summary
Ice hockey is an intermittent high-intensity team sport that requires explosive power, speed, muscular strength, and superior anaerobic and aerobic capacities [1–6]. On-ice shifts are short (30–80 s), but players perform several bouts of near maximal-intensity exercise per minute, including repeated sprints, quick direction changes, body contact, grappling, and rapid accelerations and decelerations [1–5]. These bouts are interspersed with periods of low-intensity skating and gliding, and rest. Despite playing only 8, 1-min shifts per period, significant glycogen depletion occurred within period 1, and ∼65% of fast- and slow-twitch fibers were depleted by the end of the 3 periods These findings were associated with marked decrements in physical performance across time, including reduced repeated sprint ability and fewer accelerations and decelerations, which were attributed to the development of fatigue. From the collective findings of ice hockey and other intermittent high-intensity exercise research, it has been established that low energetic states within skeletal muscle fibers produce intolerance to repeated high-intensity exercise bouts and exacerbate fatigue [3, 13, 14]
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