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How to choose the right fitness trainer

     You have decided to get serious about training for hockey. Many questions can come up now.   What exercises should you do? How many days per week? Should you train during the season? To help answer some of these questions you may decide to hire a fitness trainer. Trainers can help maintain motivation and avoid training injuries as well.   It is very important to choose the right fitness trainer to help you with dry land training. Hockey is a dynamic game based on speed, strength, endurance and agility and all can be improved through the correct application of training exercises.  You should do your homework when choosing a trainer. Some of the questions you should ask are:

1)     What are your certifications? A Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (C.S.C.S) is someone with a Bachelor’s degree or more that has demonstrated a level of expertise in the fitness arena.

2)     How often do you work with hockey players? Hockey has specific training requirements unique to the sport that are different than many other sports.

3)     Have you worked with this age group before? Different age players will have different training needs and safety considerations to take into account.

4)     Can the trainer provide a few references of hockey players in a similar age group? It is revealing to talk to players that have worked with the trainer as to how satisfied they were with the service provided.

5)     Will the training be fun? Whether you are an elite hockey player or a weekend warrior, any training you do for the game should always be fun.

Remember, it is never too late to start a training program for hockey. In fact, initiating an off-ice training program might be just the thing you need to take your game to the next level.

Dr. Chad Moreau is the President of HockeyOT.com, an online training site dedicated to improving the fitness level of hockey players of all levels. He was the former Strength & Conditioning/Nutrition Consultant for the Edmonton Oilers (NHL) and the Long Beach Ice Dogs (ECHL). For more information please visit hockeyot.com

New bi-weekly blog segment

We are adding a new biweekly blog segment where we will be interviewing our players from high school, collegiate, and PRO about how they use dry-land training in-season. Let us know what questions you would like to have them answer.  

A Pain in the Groin

Groin injuries are among the most common injuries seen in hockey. A groin pull is a painful and debilitating injury to the muscles of the inner thigh. The groin consists of 6 muscles on the inside of the hip and thigh called the adductor muscles. During the powerful skating stride, the hip extensors and abductors on the back and side of the hip are the prime movers, while the hip flexors and adductors act to stabilize the hip and decelerate the leg. In hockey, adductor strains occur during the lengthening contraction of the adductors as they decelerate the leg during the skating stride. The strain occurs when the muscle is stretched past its ability to handle a muscle load. Typically only some of the muscle tears while the bulk of the muscle remains intact. Any imbalance between the prime movers and stabilizers of the hip can make the adductors more prone to injury.

            Research has shown that hip flexibility, and more importantly, strengthening, can help decrease the occurrence of groin strains. Hip strengthening should be performed during the entire season to maintain a level of fitness necessary to avoid injury.

Once a groin strain occurs, there are a few treatment options that can help speed recovery. Ice right after the strain occurs is recommended to decrease the effects of inflammation around the injury site. After a few days, a very effective method of treatment is a hands-on soft tissue technique designed to take the injured area through its complete range of motion. This helps to minimize adhesions that will form after this type of injury. Once the injured area has begun to heal, a strengthening program is implemented in order to get the groin area strong enough to begin skating again.

            Remember, the groin and hip are under a great deal of strain during the sport of hockey. Be proactive and take care of this area so you won’t have to miss playing time with a pain in the groin!

Here are two exercises that can help you strengthen your hips:

To learn more about dry-land training that can help strengthen mussels to avoid injury check out HockeyOT.com 

Dr. Chad Moreau is the President of HockeyOT.com, an online training site dedicated to improving the fitness level of hockey players of all levels. He was the former Strength & Conditioning/Nutrition Consultant for the Edmonton Oilers (NHL) and the Long Beach Ice Dogs (ECHL). For more information please visit hockeyot.com

FLUID & ELECTROLYTE REPLACEMENT

FLUID REPLACEMENT

Failure to adequately hydrate on a daily basis, and especially during exercise, can lead to impaired heat dissipation. This can elevate body core temperature and increase the strain on the cardiovascular system. Performance can be negatively affected by a 2% drop in body weight due to fluid loss during exercise. Unfortunately, thirst is not the best indicator of when you should consume fluids. You may lose as much as 2-4% of your normal fluid levels during exercise before you will start to crave fluids. A thirsty athlete is already dehydrated and therefore performing below optimal levels. Environmental temperature and humidity, intensity and length of play, breathability of equipment and overall fitness level all affect how much fluid a player will lose during a practice, game or workout. Even though hockey is traditionally played in a cold environment, some of the ice arenas are quite warm, especially in the South and during summer league play. Some hockey players are also heavy sweaters (I have witnessed a professional hockey goalie lose 15 pounds in one triple overtime playoff game!) As a result, the one-size-fits-all approach to hydration is inadequate. In order to establish your sweat rate, it is important to weigh yourself before and after every workout, practice and game. Each player has to have their own hydration protocol based on their sweat rate. In order to calculate your sweat rate and fluid replacement needs during exercise, use the following equation:

Initial body weight =_______ lbs

Post-exercise body weight =_______lbs

Fluid loss = Post-exercise body weight – Initial body weight

Percentage body weight loss = Fluid loss / Initial body weight X 100%

Any percentage body weight loss greater than 2% signifies dehydration.

Every pound of body weight lost equals approximately 1 pint (16 oz.) of fluid.

Fluid loss (pints) = Total body weight loss (lbs)

Total sweat loss = Fluid loss (pints) + Amount of fluid consumed during the exercise (pints)

To stay hydrated within 2% of initial body weight, the athlete has a minimum fluid replacement rate.

Maximum allowable body weight loss = .02 X Initial body weight

The maximum allowable body weight loss can be converted into the maximal allowable sweatable fluid loss as 1 lb. = 1 pint

Minimum fluid replacement rate = Total sweat loss – Maximum allowable fluid loss x 16oz. / Duration of exercise (mins) X 15 mins

The minimum fluid replacement rate is the minimum amount of fluid that needs to be consumed every 15 minutes to maintain adequate hydration (maintain body weight within 2% of pre-exercise weight)

Maximum fluid replacement rate = Total sweat rate X 16 oz. / Duration of exercise (mins) X 15 mins

The maximum fluid replacement rate is the maximum amount of fluid that needs to be consumed every 15 minutes.

The minimum and maximum fluid replacement rate equations give the athlete a fluid consumption range every 15 minutes in order to maintain adequate hydration levels.

The following example will illustrate how the sweat rate and fluid replacement range is calculated:

Mario plays hockey for 2 hours and drinks a 16 oz. bottle of water during the game. He weighed in at 180 lbs. before and 176 lbs after the game.

Fluid loss = 180 – 176 = 4 lbs

Percentage body weight loss = 4 / 180 = 2.2% (dehydrated)

4 lbs of body weight loss = 4 pints of fluid

Total sweat loss = Fluid loss (4 pints) + Amount of fluid consumed during the exercise (16 oz. or 1 pint) = 5 pints (80 oz.)

Maximum allowable body weight loss = .02 X 180lbs = 3.6 lbs = 3.6 pints of sweatable fluid loss

Minimum fluid replacement rate = 5 pints – 3.6 pints x 16oz. / Duration of exercise (120 mins) X 15 mins = 2.8 oz. every 15 minutes

Maximum fluid replacement rate = 5 pints x 16 oz. / 120 mins X 15 mins = 10 oz. every 15 minutes

The recommended fluid intake for Mario during his hockey session is 2.8-10 oz. of fluid every 15 minutes.

This gives the player a range of fluid replacement to strive for every 15 minutes in order to maintain adequate hydration. Each athlete should have their own clear fluid bottle so that they can measure their individual fluid consumption as the exercise progresses. Proper hydration has to be practiced so that each player knows how much fluid intake is right for them during each workout, practice and game. Once you get your hydration intake right, you will reap the benefits of optimizing your performance in the weightroom and on the ice.

ELECTROLYTE REPLACEMENT

The major electrolytes lost in sweat during exercise are sodium (Na) and Chloride (Cl). 4 liters of sweat contains 3-7 grams of sodium. The average North American consumes 6-9 grams of sodium per day! Sweat is relatively hypotonic compared to the body’s cellular fluid which means that you lose a lot more water than electrolytes when you sweat. There are 3 conditions where electrolyte replacement should be considered:

1)     Exercise lasting longer than 1 hour

2)     Excessive heat during exercise

3)     Salty sweaters (athletes who notice that their sweat is salty as it usually tastes salty and leaves white marks on their skin and clothing)

A lot of hockey players meet at least one of the 3 conditions for electrolyte replacement. Another factor affecting hockey performance is maintaining adequate carbohydrate/sugar stores in the blood and muscles. A sports drink should not contain more than 8% carbohydrate/sugar. Many sports drinks on the market contain sugar and electrolytes in adequate proportions to satisfy most players’ sugar and electrolyte needs. Unfortunately most of them also contain artificial colors and flavors to make them more marketable. I like to use the following home recipe modified from Nancy Clark’s Sport Nutrition Guide, 2^nd edition:

Dissolve 4 Tbsp. raw organic sugar and ¼ tsp. sea salt in a ¼ cup boiling purified water. Then add ¼ cup raw organic orange or lemon juice and 3 ¾ cup cold purified water and chill in the refrigerator.

Dr. Chad Moreau is the President of HockeyOT.com, an online training site dedicated to improving the fitness level of hockey players of all levels. He was the former Strength & Conditioning/Nutrition Consultant for the Edmonton Oilers (NHL) and the Long Beach Ice Dogs (ECHL). For more information please visit hockeyot.com

10 Tips for Optimal Recovery after Workouts

We have identified ten things that an athlete can do to assist their body in regenerating between workouts. This is a crucial element in a training regime, because the quicker you can recover between workout sessions, the more frequently you can train with a higher intensity.

1)     Drink water before, during and after exercise. This seems like a no-brainer but most athletes simply do not consume enough water. If you did nothing else but consume more water, recovery rate would significantly improve.

2)     Eat fruit upon completion of exercise. This brings blood sugar back to normal levels and provides sugar for conversion to muscle glycogen. Athletes need to eat a lot of fruit. Some of my pro players eat more than 10 pieces of fruit per day!

3)     Rest after meals when possible. This will optimize digestion. Food is fuel, so you need to let it digest make it’s way to your body’s cells for energy.

4)     Sleep as much as you desire. Athletes need more sleep than non-athletes. Remember, exercise does not provide energy, it requires energy Unfortunately, an athlete’s busy schedule can sometimes lead to sleep deprivation and subsequent poor ability to recover.

5)     Drink diluted sports drinks during practices and games. This will provide sugar and water needs while on the ice.

6)     Monitor water loss. Use a scale to measure weight before and after exercise. Make sure you replenish your water stores by consuming water before, during and after exercise.

7)     Eat as many of your foods raw as possible. Raw foods provide maximum nutrients for minimal calories encouraging most rapid recovery. They also contain the most nutrients, water content and energy.

8)     Develop a habit of going to bed earlier. Again sleep is crucial for recovery.

9)     Keep meals simple for optimum digestion. Vary meals to  insure optimum nutrition.

10) Consistently use soft tissue work and hot/cold contrast therapy. Getting a massage is great for recovery. Also going from a warm bath to a cold bath every 3 minutes will help speed recovery after workouts.

      Dr. Chad Moreau is the President of HockeyOT.com, an online training site dedicated to improving the fitness level of hockey players of all levels. He was the former Strength & Conditioning/Nutrition Consultant for the Edmonton Oilers (NHL) and the Long Beach Ice Dogs (ECHL). For more information please visit hockeyot.com

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