Validity & Reliability Of A New Hockey-Specific Test In Elite Ice Hockey Players

Abstract

A valid and reliable method of assessing hockey-specific physiological performance is warranted as elite hockey players compete for scholarships and professional contracts. The Hockey-Specific Test (HST) is an on-ice, position-specific assessment that integrates competition specific, multi-planar movement patterns and is generalizable to hockey players at the highest level of competition. Generalizability in the use of published on-ice tests is problematic due to small sample sizes and the use of recreational youth and non-elite players. More importantly, they don’t include hockey-specific movement patterns (e.g., turns, deceleration, skating backward). PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the validity and reliability of the new assessment. METHODS: 54 male players (National Hockey League = 16; American Hockey League = 23; Under 17 USA National Team = 15) gave informed consent and minor assent to participate in both the HST and a 30-second Wingate Test (WAnT) with a resistance of 0.075 kg/kg body weight. The HST consists of 6 on-ice trials interspersed with 30-seconds active rest. All players wore full gear and carried a stick. Measurements included 15 m peak acceleration (m/s2), 166 m total trial speed (m/s), percentage of age-predicted maximum heart rate (APMHR%), and post-exercise blood lactate (BLA post) as markers of maximal effort and physiological capacities. RESULTS: A strong correlation exists between WAnT peak power and HST trial speed (r = .765, p < 0.001) and 15 m acceleration (r = .716, p < 0.001) in elite players, demonstrating construct validity. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) for all participants verified within and between trial reliability for 15 m acceleration, F (50) = 0.67, p < 0.001 and trial speed, F (50) = 0.85, p < 0.001. Multinomial logistic regression for predicting WAnT peak power (w) from results of the HST = 27.98 - (18.05 x trial 1 time) + (11.04 x weight) + (25.69 x age). Adjusted peak power, APMHR%, and BLApost were 1023±108, SEE = 26±6; 89.3±3.6 and 91.2±4.5; 10.6±2.0 and 11.2±1.7 for the WAnT and HST, respectively. These values coincide with a test that sufficiently taxes the glycolytic energy pathway. CONCLUSION: The HST appears to be a valid and reliable test for determination of physiological performance in elite hockey players.