Laboratory anaerobic performance in elite Czech ice hockey players: Normative data for players aged 14 to 35 years
Abstract
From the physiological assessments, anaerobic exercise testing is of a primarily importance in ice hockey players. Regardless that the Wingate anaerobic test is worldwide frequently used in ice hockey players, there are no available data on normative values for peak power and anaerobic capacity as regards age of the players.
The study analyzed the data from the 17,601 Wingate tests in Czech ice hockey players (forwards and defensemen) obtained in 20-year-lasting period to create age-related norms for peak power and anaerobic capacity. Anaerobic performance indices in young elite ice hockey players increase with age, absolute values of PP and AnC are peaking at the age of 25-26 years, whereas relative values are peaking earlier at 22-23 year of age.
The normative values could be used by coaches and trainers to evaluate anaerobic peak power and anaerobic capacity with respect to the chronological age and may serve for players' selection and monitoring training interventions.