ECSS Paris 2023: CP-AP26
INTRODUCTION: Skating speed is a key performance determinant in ice hockey. While previous research has linked greater joint ranges of motion to enhanced skating efficiency, the specific role of active hip mobility in linear on-ice sprinting remains empirically underexplored. METHODS: This study investigated the relationship between active hip range of motion (AROM), assessed under standardized off-ice conditions, and linear on-ice sprint performance in 23 elite male U20 players (age: 17.4 ± 1.2 years). AROM was bilaterally measured using a test battery with a digital goniometer for hip flexion, abduction, internal rotation, external rotation, and extension. Players completed standardized 30 m on-ice sprints with split times recorded at 5 m. Pearson correlation and linear regression analyses were conducted. RESULTS: No significant correlations were found between absolute AROM values across all movements and sprint performance. However, hip external rotation asymmetry showed a highly significant positive correlation with 30 m sprint time (r = .69, p < .001), as well as moderate correlations with 5 m sprint time (r = .42, p = .045) and the 5–30 m split (r = .58, p = .004). Regression analysis revealed that external rotation asymmetry accounted for 48% of the variance in 30 m sprint performance. CONCLUSION: Isolated active hip mobility is not a reliable predictor of skating speed. However, asymmetries – particularly in hip external rotation – negatively affect on-ice sprint performance. These findings highlight the importance of asymmetry-oriented screening in performance diagnostics for ice hockey players and suggest that addressing functional imbalances may be crucial for optimizing skating performance. The presented test battery provides a practical tool for this purpose.
Read CV Alain BartlomeECSS Paris 2023: CP-AP26
INTRODUCTION: Sleep is a key component for performance. The frequent travel required of elite athletes for competition negatively impacts sleep. Nevertheless, elite canadian speed skating athletes appear to adapt rapidly to long-haul travel [1]. More recently, research in this same population has identified sex as a key determinant of sleep during preseason [2]. This study aimed to determine (a) whether sex differences in sleep previously observed during the preseason persist during long-haul travel in the competitive season, and (b) whether sleep adaptation kinetics differ between men and women. METHODS: Secondary sex-based analyses were conducted using data from a a previously published longitudinal observational study in Canadian national team speed skaters (n=19; 11 women) traveling from Western Canada to Asia for World Cup competitions between 2017 and 2019 [1]. Sleep was assessed using wrist-worn actigraph MotionWatch 8 (CamNtech, Cambridge, UK) across different phases (baseline, travel day, training in Asia and competition days), with a particular focus on the time course of sleep adaptation from the arrival in Asia until the first competition (5 days). Countermovement jump height (CMJ) was assessed in a subsample (n = 8; 4 women) using a portable force plate (PS-2142, Pasco, Roseville, CA, USA). RESULTS: No phase x sex interaction was observed for total sleep time (p=0.90). Sleep duration baseline was similar across women (428±56 min) vs men (429±51 min, p=0.86). The previously reported increase in sleep duration (9±2 min·day⁻¹) during the training period in Asia was not influence by sex (day x sex interaction: p=0.61). Similar results were observed for sleep efficiency (85 ± 1%; p=0.30) and for all other sleep-related outcomes, with no sex effect (p>0.05). The only sex-related difference was found for neuromuscular performance. Men exhibited higher CMJ than women (+11 ± 4 cm, p = 0.04), with a significant day effect (+1.0 ± 0.3 cm·day⁻¹, p < 0.001) and no day x sex interaction (p = 0.44). CONCLUSION: Sex differences observed during the preseason may be attenuated during the competitive season, where training and competition schedules are highly standardized across athletes. Future studies should examine these effects within the same athletes across a single competitive year. Overall, men and women appear to adapt similarly to long-haul travel in terms of sleep and neuromuscular performance. [1] Varesco et al., 2024; [2] Varesco et al., 2025
Read CV Florence MorinECSS Paris 2023: CP-AP26
INTRODUCTION: Professional rugby union is characterised by repeated high-intensity efforts and collisions that challenge physiological homeostasis. Although acute perturbations in inflammatory and stress-related biomarkers have been reported, evidence for integrated inflammatory, redox, endocrine, and immune responses across in-season match cycles remains limited. Recent reports of clinically elevated C-reactive protein in rugby players have raised concern about potential sustained inflammatory load (1). This study therefore aimed to characterise post-match biomarker changes and examine associations with match exposure and positional grouping in elite rugby union players. METHODS: In this single-team case study, data were collected across six professional matches. Biomarkers (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [hs-CRP], Free Oxygen Radicals Testing [FORT], Free Oxygen Radicals Defence [FORD], Oxidative Stress Ratio [OSI], cortisol, and immune cell counts/ratios) were measured pre-match and post-match at either game day (GD) +2 or GD+3. Match exposure was quantified using minutes played and contact counts; positional groups were also compared. Analyses were performed using mixed-effects models (player-level random intercept), with additional sensitivity regressions. RESULTS: hs-CRP increased from pre-match to GD+2 and trended back toward baseline by GD+3. Players with ≥60 min of match exposure had higher hs-CRP than those with <60 min (2.50 vs 0.89 mg·L⁻¹ ; ~181%; p = 0.001). In mixed-effects models, neither game time nor contacts was independently associated with biomarkers. In sensitivity analyses, contact counts were inversely associated with monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (β = −0.00178; p = 0.029). Redox markers and cortisol showed no time effects; positional differences were observed for cortisol, FORT, and haemoglobin. Immune indices showed no recovery-day effects in mixed models; however, pooled pre–post comparisons indicated higher lymphocyte and monocyte counts (1.9 to 2.2, ~15.8%, p = 0.040; 0.2 to 0.3, ~50%, p < 0.001), lower neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (1.28 to 1.12, ~12.5%, p = 0.033), and higher monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (0.120 to 0.133, ~10.8%, p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Match-play elicited a delayed, transient inflammatory response typically resolving within ~72 h. While prior rugby studies have reported persistently elevated or clinically high CRP, this pattern was not observed in the present cohort. hs-CRP elevations appear to have a short-lived exposure threshold, and alongside immune indices suggest a rapid resolution of inflammatory insult. Whether this rapid resolution is a prerequisite for improved game performance remains unknown. This case study contributes valuable pilot data to inform the design of larger, multi-team studies in rugby union. 1. McHugh C, Hind K, Kelly A, et al. Cardiovascular risk and systemic inflammation in male professional rugby: a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2023;9(4):e001636.
Read CV Toby HelderECSS Paris 2023: CP-AP26