Laboratory Anaerobic Performance in Elite Czech Ice Hockey Players: Normative Data for Players Aged 14 to 35 Years

Background: From physiological assessments, anaerobic exercise testing is of primary importance in ice hockey players. From various anaerobic tests, the anaerobic all-out Wingate test (WAnT) had been adopted and standardized for ice hockey player testing (Cox et al. 1995). Although the WAnT is frequently used worldwide with ice hockey players, there are no available data on normative values for peak power (PP) and anaerobic capacity (AnC) as regards to the age of the players.

Aim: The aim of this study was to analyze data from 17,598 Wingate tests of Czech ice hockey players (forwards and defensemen) obtained in preseason testing from a 20-year period to create age-related norms for PP and AnC in ice hockey players.

Methods: The data were collected from the 1999 to 2017 seasons. Altogether 17,598 ice hockey players aged 14 to 35 years (members of teams of elite league of cadets and junior and senior players) completed a 30-second WAnT on a cycle ergometer Monark E824 using a breaking force of 6 W.kg^-1 that equals 0.106 kg.kg^-1. The main results were 5-s absolute and relative PP [W, W.kg^-1] and total work or anaerobic capacity AnC [J.kg^-1]. The dependence of PP and/or AnC on age was calculated using a polynomial function of the third order. Peak values were calculated using second derivation of the function.

Results: Absolute PP [W] = 0.1029x³ – 10.42x² + 332.02x – 2071.9 (R²= 0.9915, x= age, years), with peak values 1325.12 W at 25.8 years of age, and relative PP [W.kg^-1] = 0.0008x³ – 0.0717x² + 2.1046x – 4.7443 (R²= 0.9621), with peak values 15.01 W.kg^-1 at 23.4 years of age. Absolute AnC [kJ] = 0.0024x³ – 0.2271x² + 6.6956x + 38.778 (R²= 0.9944, x= age, years), with peak values 30.49 kJ at 25.6 years of age, relative AnC [J.kg^-1] = 0.013x³ – 1.1472x² + 31.613x + 68.936 (R²= 0.9619), with peak values 347.13 J.kg^‑1 at 21.9 years of age. Fatigue index FI [%] = 0.0041x³ – 0.3509x² + 9.7539x – 45.906 (R²= 0.9586), with peak values 43.12 % at 24.4 years of age.

Discussion and Conclusions: Anaerobic performance indices in young elite ice hockey players increase with age, absolute values of PP and AnC are peaking at the age of 25-26 years, whereas relative values are peaking earlier at 22-23 year of age. The normative values could be used by coaches and trainers to evaluate anaerobic peak power and anaerobic capacity with respect to the chronological age and may serve for players` selection and monitoring training interventions.