Feature Story
Cardio fitness is a high priority; cardio
workouts are not
By Jack Blatherwick
Let’s Play Hockey Columnist
So that I am
not misunderstood on a topic this important, let’s be clear: Aerobic and
Cardiovascular fitness are vitally important for everyone, including young
people — certainly for hockey players. But if you train intelligently for
hockey skills and athleticism (quickness, speed, explosive strength, agility,
etc.) you will NOT need to spend time doing aerobic training
(long, slow distances). Leave the “cardio workouts” to adults who are smart
enough to get off the couch.
The front
page of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Nov. 16, 2009) featured an article
quoting an amazing study: 75 percent of Americans in the prime of their lives,
ages 17-24, could not qualify for military service because they are physically
unfit, have dropped out of high school, or have criminal or other disqualifying
records. Three out of every four! Now that’s an eye opener, and certainly
points out the need for education and a whole bunch of aerobic training.
However, for
a young hockey player, aerobic training has little value if you plan
intelligently and train for the qualities needed to play hockey at a higher
level. This includes aerobic fitness, of course, but that will be improved as a
byproduct of high tempo practices on-ice and off.
Youth hockey
games may not be enough of a cardiovascular challenge to qualify. There are too
many players on each team; too much ice time wasted while referees hold the
puck; and ice rental is expensive compared to facilities in other youth sports.
No one improves fitness or hockey skills while sitting on the bench. Also keep
in mind, no one improves fitness while standing too
much during practice.
If on-ice and
off-ice workouts keep players moving, while practicing hockey skills and
athleticism, this does improve cardiovascular fitness…even more than by
“cardio” workouts. Research is pouring in from studies on soccer and basketball
teams, showing that game-like drills and skill drills are very effective in
improving aerobic fitness (start your Google search with these words: small-sided
soccer games aerobic fitness).
It has been
known for decades (Fox EL, and other authors) that intervals designed
for speed, quickness and agility can also improve cardiovascular and aerobic
fitness. In a six-week preseason study on a college hockey team, we used dryland sprint interval training to improve running and
skating acceleration, skating endurance, leg strength, vertical jump, anaerobic
endurance and power measured on a bicycle ergometer (all
pre- to post-training differences were statistically significant at p<0.01
levels). These improvements in explosiveness were not surprising, because
the three training sessions per week were very intense, and lasted 60-90
minutes.
We were a
little surprised to find remarkable improvements in aerobic fitness, because
none of the training was aerobic in nature. Players were tested in the lab for
cardiovascular and respiratory parameters, using an electronically braked
bicycle that increased the workload 12.5 watts every 30 seconds until subjects
could not continue. Heart rate was monitored by EKG, and expired air was
analyzed instantaneously. After six weeks, aerobic capacity had improved
significantly (Vo2 max improved 6
percent, Anaerobic threshold increased 19 percent).
There is
always a little subjectivity in identifying these respiratory measures, but
there is no mistaking the improvements in cardiovascular performance. At rest and at each workload, post-training
heart rates were significantly lower. This indicates the cardiovascular system
was more efficient than six weeks earlier, but we saw even more dramatic
improvements when we analyzed the data more closely.
We looked at
the amount of work accomplished before heart rates reached 85 percent of their
maximum, because HR’s are at this level or higher
during an intense shift in a college hockey game. After the six-week training
program, players did 41 percent more work before stressing the heart to the
same 85 percent level as six weeks before. This is certainly a major factor in
what is meant by “hockey shape” or “game shape.”
This is clear
evidence that training for quickness, speed and explosive strength can also
improve cardiovascular fitness if the intervals are well-planned. By the way,
the only distances run that fall were two 5k tests (before and after training six
weeks). Times improved 6 percent. In other words, “anaerobic interval training
is highly aerobic,” and this is a message every youth coach must consider. The
other three out of four kids who are couch potatoes need a good kick in the
butt…toward the door, hopefully, so they can go jogging
Visit Jack's website at www.overspeed.info.
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