Stress and recovery of players in Kontinental Hockey League
Westerlund, Tomas (2015)
Westerlund, Tomas
Haaga-Helia ammattikorkeakoulu
2015
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2015060312127
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2015060312127
Tiivistelmä
There are a lot of information about physical stress in different exercises and
competition situations, but not so much research about recovery in professional team
sport. The aim of this study was to produce new information about stress and recovery
of the players in the international league. Another objective was to find out the
individual differences of the stress and recovery of the players, when the program is
the same for all. The big amount of games during the season has increased requirement
of good recovery of the athlete.
The subjects (31) of this study are professional ice hockey players of Finnish club team
Jokerit in Kontinental Hockey League. The average age was 29 years, height 185 cm,
weight 91 kg and VO2max 54 ml/kg/min. The autonomic regulation of HRV was
measured during the season in 12 different periods lasting 2-6 days. The autonomic
regulation of heart rate variability (HRV) was measured by using Firstbeat Sport and
Firstbeat Life Assesment methods. R-to R interval were acquired with the Firstbeat
Bodyguard 2 wearable heart rate monitor on 1ms resolution.
According to over 100 night recovery measurements the average time when recovery
started, was 7 hours and 42 minutes after the ended game. The average duration of the
night recovery was 5 hours and 33 minutes. One of the most notable finding was really
big individual differences of the night recovery between the different players. The
fastest recovery started two hours after the game and the slowest player didn’t recover
at all during the night.
A player has to be an athlete 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week. The physical and
mental stress of the ice hockey game is so big that it delays the start of the recovery.
Finding a balance between playing load and recovery is a key factor to maintain good
athletic performance. Regular recovery assessment is a key factor in successful athletic
programming. Firstbeat assessment methods are easy-to-use methods to assess the
recovery of an athlete or a team.
competition situations, but not so much research about recovery in professional team
sport. The aim of this study was to produce new information about stress and recovery
of the players in the international league. Another objective was to find out the
individual differences of the stress and recovery of the players, when the program is
the same for all. The big amount of games during the season has increased requirement
of good recovery of the athlete.
The subjects (31) of this study are professional ice hockey players of Finnish club team
Jokerit in Kontinental Hockey League. The average age was 29 years, height 185 cm,
weight 91 kg and VO2max 54 ml/kg/min. The autonomic regulation of HRV was
measured during the season in 12 different periods lasting 2-6 days. The autonomic
regulation of heart rate variability (HRV) was measured by using Firstbeat Sport and
Firstbeat Life Assesment methods. R-to R interval were acquired with the Firstbeat
Bodyguard 2 wearable heart rate monitor on 1ms resolution.
According to over 100 night recovery measurements the average time when recovery
started, was 7 hours and 42 minutes after the ended game. The average duration of the
night recovery was 5 hours and 33 minutes. One of the most notable finding was really
big individual differences of the night recovery between the different players. The
fastest recovery started two hours after the game and the slowest player didn’t recover
at all during the night.
A player has to be an athlete 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week. The physical and
mental stress of the ice hockey game is so big that it delays the start of the recovery.
Finding a balance between playing load and recovery is a key factor to maintain good
athletic performance. Regular recovery assessment is a key factor in successful athletic
programming. Firstbeat assessment methods are easy-to-use methods to assess the
recovery of an athlete or a team.