COMPLEX TRAINING IN ICE HOCKEY: THE EFFECTS OF
A HEAVY RESISTED SPRINT ON SUBSEQUENT
ICE-HOCKEY SPRINT PERFORMANCE
MARTYN J. MATTHEWS, PAUL COMFORT, AND ROBYN CREBIN
Directorate of Sport, Exercise, and Physiotherapy, School of Health Care Professions, University of Salford,
Salford, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom
ABSTRACT
Matthews, MJ, Comfort, P, and Crebin, R. Complex training in
ice hockey: the effects of a heavy resisted sprint on subsequent
ice-hockey sprint performance. J Strength Cond Res 24(11):
2883–2887, 2010—The aim of the study was to investigate the
acute effect of a heavy resisted sprint when used as a preload
exercise to enhance subsequent 25-m on-ice sprint perfor-
mance. Eleven competitive ice-hockey players (mean 6 SD:
Age = 22.09 6 3.05 years; Body Mass = 83.47 6 11.7 kg;
Height = 1.794 6 0.060 m) from the English National League
participated in a same-subject repeated-measures design,
involving 2 experimental conditions. During condition 1, partici-
pants performed a 10-second heavy resisted sprint on ice.
Condition 2 was a control, where participants rested. An
electronically timed 25-m sprint on ice was performed before
and 4 minutes after each condition. The results indicated no
significant difference (p = 0.176) between pre (3.940 + 0.258
seconds) and post (3.954 + 0.261 seconds) sprint times in the
control condition. The intervention condition, however, demon-
strated a significant 2.6% decrease in times (p = 0.02) between
pre (3.950 + 0.251 seconds) and post (3.859 + 0.288
seconds) test sprints. There was also a significant change (p =
0.002) when compared to the times of the control condition.
These findings appear to suggest that the intensity and duration
of a single resisted sprint in this study are sufficient to induce an
acute (after 4 minutes of rest) improvement in 25-m sprint
performance on ice. For those athletes wishing to improve
skating speed, heavy resisted sprints on ice may provide a
biomechanically suitable exercise for inducing potentiation
before speed training drills.
KEY WORDS postactivation potentiation, sprint training, skating
Address correspondence to Martyn Matthews, m.j.matthews@salford.
ac.uk.
24(11)/2883–2887
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Ó 2010 National Strength and Conditioning Association
Copyright © National Strength and Conditioning Association Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
Copyright © National Strength and Conditioning Association Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
INTRODUCTION
C
omplex training, or the use of contrasting loads to
elicit an acute enhancement in power output (14),
has gained much interest in recent years, both as
a training method for developing power and as
a warm-up (9,18,21).
In practice, complex training involves exercise sets whereby
a traditional strength movement is followed by a biomechan-
ically similar power exercise (1,2). This leads to an enhanced
performance of the subsequent lighter set, over and above
that which would occur without the prior heavy resistance
set (3).
Previous studies have investigated the use of complex
training for the acute enhancement of lower-body power,
with several studies demonstrating significant improvements
using this approach (15,16,18,21,23), whereas others found
no such change (11,17,22).
Complex training has proved particularly successful in
improving jump performance (2,21,23) and short sprint
ability (18). Young et al. (23) reported a 2.8% increase in
loaded countermovement jump height when jumps were
performed 4 minutes after a set of heavy squats (5 repetition
maxima [5RM]); Baker (2) reported a 5.4% increase in power
output during a loaded jump squat (40 kg) when this
followed a set of jump squats with a higher load (60 kg);
Radcliffe and Radcliffe (21) reported an increased standing
long jump performance when preceded by a warm-up
consisting of 4 sets of 4 repetitions of the power snatch, with
3 minutes between sets, and Matthews et al. (18) reported
a mean improvement of 3.3% in sprint time after back squats
(5 3 5RM). The results for the acute enhancement of power
in ice hockey, however, have yet to be fully investigated.
Ice hockey is a sport where success is determined by the
skating skills of the players, in particular the ability to accelerate,
sprint, change direction, and stop quickly (7,13). Central to the
optimal performance of these movement patterns is the
players’ ability to produce high levels of force and power from
the lower body (4,13), particularly in the directions required for
each individual skill. It is possible, therefore, that ice-hockey
players may benefit from complex training methods.
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 Complex Training in Ice Hockey
Figure 1. Heavy resisted sprints–tethered.
Figure 2. Timed pre and posttest sprints.
Figure 3. Timed pre and posttest sprints.
the
2884 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
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Given the highly specialized
biomechanical movement pat-
terns involved in ice hockey (4–
6), traditional off-ice loading
activities such as squats and
deadlifts may not be as func-
tional as resisted activities on the
ice. The dragging of a weighted
sled while ice skating has been
used previously to develop an
ice skater’s power and, in par-
ticular, their acceleration ability
(20). It is reasonable to suppose
that similar activities, such as
heavy resisted sprints, could also
prove a useful method of re-
sistance application to players
training on ice and, moreover,
that this resistance may have
a potentiating effect on any
subsequent sprint activity.
It is proposed, therefore, to
investigate the acute effect of
heavy resisted sprints on sub-
sequent 25-m sprint perfor-
mance in professional ice-
hockey players. We hypothe-
size that subsequent sprint
times will be reduced after the
performance of a single, heavy
resisted sprint.
METHODS
Experimental Approach to the
Problem
A same-subject repeated-meas-
ures design was used to estab-
lish the effect of 2 conditions
(independent variables) on the
time of a 25-m sprint (depen-
dent variable) on ice. During
condition 1, participants per-
formed a 10-second heavy re-
sisted sprint on ice (Figure 1).
Condition 2 was a control,
where participants rested. Each
condition was preceded with
a pretest and followed by a post-
test each consisting of a maxi-
mal 25-m sprint on ice (Figures
2 and 3). The order of con-
ditions 1 and 2 was randomized
for each participant, and testing
took place on separate days,
1 week apart.
TM
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All testing took place at the

local ice rink. The effectiveness
of the intervention and the
control conditions were as-
sessed via 25-m sprint perfor-
mance on separate days. After
a standardized squad warm-up,
which included no resisted
sprints, each athlete performed
2 test sprints for each experi-
mental condition. These were
a pretest and a posttest. The
conditions were timed as fol-
lows. Pretest, 60-second rest,
Figure 4. Individual skating times (pre and posttests) for the intervention condition. condition (1 or 2), 240 seconds,
posttest. (Although the optimal
rest period appears to be highly
individual (10), 240 seconds
appears to provide an appro-
priate balance between fatigue
and potentiation under similar
conditions, being broadly com-
parable with times used favor-
ably in previous studies
(12,16,18,21,23).
All timing was done electron-
ically (Newtest Powertimer test-
ing system, 1998, Kiviharjuntie
II, Fin-90220, Oulu, Finland). To
prevent premature triggering of
the timer, each athlete started
a meter back from the timing
gate. The athlete was told to start
by a timed whistle; however,
Figure 5. Individual skating times (pre and posttests) for the control condition. timing did not start until the
athlete broke the beam on the
timing gate.
The following hypotheses hold: Test/retest reliability was determined during a pilot study
H1: Sprint times will be reduced after the performance of on 8 skaters. An ICC(1,1) revealed an intraclass correlation
a single, heavy resisted sprint. coefficient (ICC) of 0.997 (p ,0.001), indicating that the
H0: There will be no difference in sprint times following the testing procedures were highly reliable.
performance of a single, heavy resisted sprint.
Statistical Analyses
Subjects A 2-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine
Eleven competitive ice-hockey players (mean 6 SD) Age = differences in time between the conditions. Significance was
22.09 6 3.05 years; Body Mass = 83.47 6 11.7 kg, Height = accepted at an alpha level of p # 0.05.
1.794 6 0.060 m) from the English National League,
participated in this study before the competitive season. RESULTS
Results indicate a mean decrease in sprint time (20.091 6
Procedures 0.088 seconds) for the experimental group (Figure 4) and
The investigation was approved by the Research Governance a mean increase in sprint time (0.014 6 0.021 seconds) for the
and Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Health and Social control group (Figure 5).
Care at the University of Salford. Before testing subjects were A 2-way ANOVA was used to determine whether there
informed of the experimental risks and signed an informed were any differences between the results of the tests gained
consent document. from the control group and the intervention group.

VOLUME 24 | NUMBER 11 | NOVEMBER 2010 | 2885

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 Complex Training in Ice Hockey

TABLE 1. Multivariate tests for the control group, intervention group and comparison between the intervention and control
group.

Effect Value F Hypothesis difference Error difference Significant difference

Control Pillai’s trace 0.175 2.119 1.000 10.000 0.176

Wilks’ lambda 0.825 2.119 1.000 10.000 0.176
Hotelling’s trace 0.212 2.119 1.000 10.000 0.176
Roy’s largest root 0.212 2.119 1.000 10.000 0.176
Intervention Pillai’s trace 0.434 7.672 1.000 10.000 0.020
Wilks’ lambda 0.566 7.672 1.000 10.000 0.020
Hotelling’s trace 0.767 7.672 1.000 10.000 0.020
Roy’s largest root 0.767 7.672 1.000 10.000 0.020
Intervention control Pillai’s trace 0.616 16.060 1.000 10.000 0.002
Wilks’ lambda 0.384 16.060 1.000 10.000 0.002
Hotelling’s trace 1.606 16.060 1.000 10.000 0.002
Roy’s largest root 1.606 16.060 1.000 10.000 0.002

DISCUSSION
The results appear to suggest
that heavy resisted sprints, on
ice, are sufficient to induce an
acute potentiating effect that is
enough to significantly enhance
subsequent sprint performance,
resulting in a mean decrease in
25-m sprint times (20.091 6
0.088 seconds) of 2.6%.
As the degree of potentiation
after a resistance exercise de-
pends upon the magnitude of
the resistance used, with higher
loads eliciting greater potentia-
tion (12,19,23), these findings
appear to suggest that the
Figure 6. Mean skating times (pre and posttests) for the control and intervention conditions.
intensity achieved during re-
sisted sprints in this study is
broadly in line with those in-
tensities that have elicited po-
No significant differences (p = 0.176) were observed tentiation in previous studies, namely, $85–90% 1RM
between pre (3.940 + 0.258 seconds) and post (3.954 + (12,18,21,23).
0.261 seconds) sprint duration in the control group (Table 1). We recognize that postactivation potentiation may be
The intervention group, however, demonstrated a significant responsible for any improvements observed and probably
difference (p = 0.02) between pre (3.950 + 0.251 seconds) and occurred via a combination of mechanisms summarized
post (3.859 + 0.288 seconds) sprint times and, more elsewhere (18).
importantly, demonstrated a significant change (p = 0.002)
when compared to the times of the control group (Table 1).
We are therefore able to reject the null hypothesis and accept PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
the hypothesis that subsequent sprint times will be reduced These findings appear to suggest that the intensity and
after the performance of a single, heavy resisted sprint. duration of a single resisted sprint in this study are sufficient to
The individual skating times for the intervention and control induce an acute (after 4-minutes’ rest) improvement in 25-m
conditions are represented below (Figures 4 and 5). Mean sprint performance on ice. For those athletes wishing to
skating times for each condition are represented in Figure 6. improve skating speed, heavy resisted sprints on ice may
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2886 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research

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Copyright © National Strength and Conditioning Association Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.

provide a biomechanically suitable exercise for inducing
potentiation before speed training drills.
Although this study has not investigated the use of
traditional lifts (back squat) as a means of inducing
potentiation in ice-hockey players, the specificity of move-
ment pattern used here, particularly in relation of the line of
application of force, makes the use of heavy resisted sprints an
accessible training method requiring minimal equipment.
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