Comparison of selected performance-associated parameters after off-season and two-month training preparation in professional Czech ice hockey players

Background: In ice hockey, regular off-ice testing can serve as a controlling mechanism for a training program’s effectiveness. Objective: The main aim of this study was to describe changes in selected morphological and physiological parameters, intended to be relevant for a complex ice hockey performance, after two months of pre-season training preparation following one month of an off-season period. Methods: The sample consisted of 22 adult male players aged 18–39 years from a top Czech ice hockey league team. Two laboratory testing procedures performed at the end of the off-season and after two months of the pre-season conditioning consisted of basic anthropometry and body composition measurements, countermovement jump (CMJ), and maximal incremental test focused on the assessment of various parameters, including maximal oxygen consumption (V ̇ O 2 max), maximal power output during the test (Pmax) or estimation of anaerobic threshold intensity (ANT). Results: After the pre-season, we found a significant decrease in body fat (13.7 vs. 11.4%, p < .001) and an increase in fat-free mass (74.2 vs. 76.6 kg, p < .001), V̇ O 2 max (relative 48.8 vs. 52.6 ml · kg –1 · min –1 p = .001; absolute 4.20 vs. 4.54 L · min –1 , p < .001), Pmax (5.26 vs. 5.44 W · kg –1 , p = .011), power output at ANT (4.07 vs. 4.35 W · kg –1 , p < .001), and CMJ (44.9 vs. 47.1 cm, p = .002). Conclusions: Based on our results, two months of the pre-season training program led to a significant improvement in body composition and physical performance levels in professional Czech ice hockey players.