Hockey

Regardless of whether it's played by men or women, hockey is a no-holds-barred, high-intensity, full-effort sport. If you watch hockey closely, you'll notice that the athletes play in shifts, staying on the ice for roughly 1.5 minutes before the next shift takes the ice. This system allows hockey players to play at full tilt for the entire time thet're on the ice, while the bench time allows for the regeneration of phosphocreatine so the players are capable of more quick-burst activity when they return to the ice. This intense effort is highly anaerobic and, therefore, highly reliant on phosphocreatine and glycogen stores. It is possible to make positive changes in the diets of hockey players that can help them maintain weight during the off-season and improve anaerobic endurance during the season.⁴⁴

Findings from a study of elite Swedish hockey players found that the distance skated, the number of shifts skated, the amount of time skated within shifts, and the skating speed all improved with carbohydrate loading.⁴⁵ Another study reached a similar conclusion, suggesting that hockey performance would be enhanced by carbohydrate ingestion.⁴⁶ It was concluded that individual performance differences among hockey players are directly related to muscle glycogen metabolism, a finding confirmed in a study of seven professional hockey players. In this study, 60 percent of the muscle glycogen in the quadriceps muscles was burned during a single game.⁴⁷ Since hockey players frequently skate in practice or play on successive days, it is possible for muscle glycogen to become depleted on an inadequate carbohydrate intake. Data from this study reveal that most players consume a diet high in protein and low in carbohydrate, a diet that is guaranteed to cause fuel-supply problems in muscles working anaerobically.

Shifting away from a high-fat, high-protein intake toward one that is higher in carbohydrate is not easy, however, and may result in inadequate energy consumption because of the lower caloric density of carbohydrate compared with fat. A study in which hockey players were placed on a special reduced-fat, reduced-protein, higher-carbohydrate intake resulted in an inadequate total energy intake.⁴⁸ Therefore, if a switch is made from a higher-fat diet to one that is lower in fat and higher in carbohydrate, care must be taken that the total energy intake is sufficient to meet the athlete's needs.

Keeping this in mind, hockey players must consider the following nutritionally relevant factors for their sport.

Frequent games place a high demand on muscle glycogen, which requires the consumption of foods high in carbohydrate (60 to 65 percent of total energy) for glycogen replenishment. The strategies for optimizing glycogen storage must also be considered. The pregame meal should consist almost entirely of carbohydrates that are mainly starch based, such as pasta, potatoes, rice, breads, and cereals. Fruits, vegetables, and high-bran (i.e., high crude fiber) foods may increase gas production in the gut so should be avoided or consumed sparingly in the pregame meal. Every opportunity should be taken during games to provide carbohydrate-containing beverages during breaks in play and between periods. Postgame carbohydrate consumption during the first hour after the game is critical to capitalize on the circulating glycogen synthetase.⁴⁹ The typical food intake not associated with games or training should focus on starch-based complex carbohydrates, but the during-game and immediately postgame carbohydrates should be more sugar-based simple carbohydrates.

Changing food intake to provide more carbohydrates may result in inadequate energy consumption. Surveys of hockey players strongly suggest that usual energy intakes tend to be high in fat, high in protein, and low in carbohydrate, an energy substrate distribution that does not adequately support the type of energy metabolic processes associated with hockey. However, because of the higher energy concentration of fats, it is easier for hockey players to obtain the total amount of energy they need. For the same weight of food, fats provide more than twice the caloric content of carbohydrates (9 calories per gram versus 4 calories per gram). Therefore, making a switch to foods that are lower in fat and higher in carbohydrate while maintaining the same eating frequency may create a negative energy balance that could also be detrimental to performance.⁵⁰ Inadequate energy intake in physically active people guarantees a catabolism of muscle, an outcome that reduces athletic performance in a power sport. A possible solution to this undesirable outcome is to make certain that hockey players increase their eating frequency to six times per day (breakfast, midmorning snack, lunch, midafternoon snack, dinner, evening snack) to create more eating opportunities while fat is being reduced and carbohydrate intake is being increased.

High-intensity activity causes body temperature to rise quickly, with a concomitant rise in sweat rate. This fact, plus the amount of equipment worn by hockey players, places them at high risk of dehydration. Following a good hydration plan is critical, therefore, for success. Hockey players should consume plenty of fluids before the game and take every opportunity to consume fluids during and after the game. Given the need for carbohydrates and the need for fluids, a good strategy is to consume a carbohydrate-containing beverage whenever possible.