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