Influence of Active Recovery on Cardiovascular Function During Ice Hockey.
BACKGROUND
Ice hockey is a popular sport comprised of high-intensity repeated bouts of activity. Light activity, as opposed to passive rest, has been shown to improve power output in repeated sprinting and could potentially help to offset venous pooling, poor perfusion, and the risk of an ischemic event. The objective of our study was, thus, to examine the efficacy of low-intensity lower body activity following a simulated hockey shift for altering hemodynamic function.


METHODS
In a cross-over design, 15 healthy hockey players (23 ± 1 years, 54 ± 3 mL/kg/min) performed two simulated hockey shifts. In both conditions, players skated up to 85 % of age-predicted heart rate maximum, followed by either passive recovery or active recovery while hemodynamic measures were tracked for up to 180 s of rest.


RESULTS
Light active recovery within the confines of an ice hockey bench, while wearing skates and protective gear, was effective for augmenting cardiac output (an average of 2.5 ± 0.2 L/min,p= 0.03) at 45, 50, and 120 s. These alterations were driven by a sustained elevation in heart rate (12 bpm,p= 0.05) combined with a physiological relevant but non-significant (11.6 mL,p= 0.06) increase in stroke volume.


CONCLUSIONS
Standing and pacing between shifts offers a realistic in-game solution to help slow the precipitous drop in cardiac output (heart rate and stroke volume) that typically occurs with passive rest. Prolonging the duration of an elevated cardiac output further into recovery may be beneficial for promoting recovery of the working skeletal muscles and also avoiding venous pooling and reduced myocardial perfusion.


CONCLUSIONS
Evidence that light activity in the form of standing/pacing is effective for maintaining cardiac output, and thus venous returnIncreased cardiac output and venous return may help reduce the chances of poor perfusion (ischemia) and could also promote recovery for performanceThis is a simple, low-risk, intervention demonstrated for the first time to work within the confines of a player's bench while wearing hockey gear.
Human Performance Laboratory, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1 Canada ; Human Performance and Health Research Laboratory, University of PEI, Charlottetown, Canada.
Jamie F
JF
Burr
Human Performance and Health Research Laboratory, University of PEI, Charlottetown, Canada.
Joshua T
JT
Slysz
Human Performance and Health Research Laboratory, University of PEI, Charlottetown, Canada.
Matthew S
MS
Boulter
Cardiovascular Physiology and Rehabilitation Laboratory, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Darren E R
DE
Warburton
Cardiac risk; Impedance cardiography; Performance; Sprint; Venous return