Abstract
BackgroundIce hockey is a popular sport comprised of high-intensity repeated bouts of activity. Light activity, as opposed to passive rest, has been shown to improve power output in repeated sprinting and could potentially help to offset venous pooling, poor perfusion, and the risk of an ischemic event. The objective of our study was, thus, to examine the efficacy of low-intensity lower body activity following a simulated hockey shift for altering hemodynamic function.MethodsIn a cross-over design, 15 healthy hockey players (23 ± 1 years, 54 ± 3 mL/kg/min) performed two simulated hockey shifts. In both conditions, players skated up to 85 % of age-predicted heart rate maximum, followed by either passive recovery or active recovery while hemodynamic measures were tracked for up to 180 s of rest.ResultsLight active recovery within the confines of an ice hockey bench, while wearing skates and protective gear, was effective for augmenting cardiac output (an average of 2.5 ± 0.2 L/min, p = 0.03) at 45, 50, and 120 s. These alterations were driven by a sustained elevation in heart rate (12 bpm, p = 0.05) combined with a physiological relevant but non-significant (11.6 mL, p = 0.06) increase in stroke volume.ConclusionsStanding and pacing between shifts offers a realistic in-game solution to help slow the precipitous drop in cardiac output (heart rate and stroke volume) that typically occurs with passive rest. Prolonging the duration of an elevated cardiac output further into recovery may be beneficial for promoting recovery of the working skeletal muscles and also avoiding venous pooling and reduced myocardial perfusion.Key PointsEvidence that light activity in the form of standing/pacing is effective for maintaining cardiac output, and thus venous returnIncreased cardiac output and venous return may help reduce the chances of poor perfusion (ischemia) and could also promote recovery for performanceThis is a simple, low-risk, intervention demonstrated for the first time to work within the confines of a player’s bench while wearing hockey gear
Highlights
Ice hockey is a popular sport comprised of high-intensity repeated bouts of activity
Given these physical demands of ice hockey, it is logical that the level of competitive play and “success” in hockey is associated with well-developed physiological attributes [6,7,8]
Compounding the high intensity of play is the fact that many older recreational hockey players have poorly controlled cardiovascular risk factors [5, 9], and it is perhaps not surprising that hockey is often suggested as a high-risk sport for this population
Summary
Ice hockey is a popular sport comprised of high-intensity repeated bouts of activity. Methods: In a cross-over design, 15 healthy hockey players (23 ± 1 years, 54 ± 3 mL/kg/min) performed two simulated hockey shifts In both conditions, players skated up to 85 % of age-predicted heart rate maximum, followed by either passive recovery or active recovery while hemodynamic measures were tracked for up to 180 s of rest. Results: Light active recovery within the confines of an ice hockey bench, while wearing skates and protective gear, was effective for augmenting cardiac output (an average of 2.5 ± 0.2 L/min, p = 0.03) at 45, 50, and 120 s These alterations were driven by a sustained elevation in heart rate (12 bpm, p = 0.05) combined with a physiological relevant but non-significant (11.6 mL, p = 0.06) increase in stroke volume. There is compelling evidence that the risk for adverse exercise-related event (such as sudden cardiac death) increases significantly in vigorous activities greater than 6 metabolic equivalents (METs) (with hockey reported to be ≥8 METs [10]), and this risk is markedly increased in previously inactive or untrained individuals [11, 12]
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