The Effect of BungeeSkate^TM Training vs Lateral Plyometric Jumps on On-Ice Acceleration and Speed

Abstract

Background/Purpose: Ice hockey is an explosive, physical sport that demands multiple short bursts of extremely vigorous work. Sport-specific on-ice training to improve game performance is a rarity for hockey players due to the high costs and unavailability of ice time. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to investigate the effectiveness of short on-ice resistance training, as compared to traditional land training on skating performance in Division III Women’s college ice hockey players. The present study examined the difference in acceleration, top speed, and speed between the two training groups (on-ice BungeeSkateTM vs. off-ice Russian Box). Methods: A total of 20 Division III female hockey players (age range: 18-21 years) participated in this study. Each participant underwent an initial 10-minute meeting where anthropometric measures were taken. Participants were randomly assigned into one of the two training conditions: BungeeSkateTM and a Russian box lateral plyometric. Each training session lasted for 15 minutes and occurred twice a week immediately following team practice. Results: A two-way repeated measures ANOVA indicated no group effect for Acceleration, Speed, and Top Speed (P > .05). No time effect was seen for Acceleration and Top Speed, while significant improvements was seen in Speed from pre- (6.87 ± .25 sec) and post-test (6.73 ± .17 sec). Conclusions: A 6-week BungeeSkateTM training intervention has a similar effect to off-ice training on acceleration and top speed, but can help to improve speed in Division III female college hockey players in relatively short training sessions compared to. On-ice resistance training could be beneficial for hockey coaches and players who are looking to maximize training benefits with limited ice time.