The Association among Body Composition, Explosive Leg Power and Aerobic Capacity in Male Varsity Hockey Players

Fitness testing and body composition assessments in sports are ubiquitous and rapidly becoming an indispensible resource for strength and conditioning coaches. Previous research has shown that higher amounts of lean tissue mass have been associated with increased power outputs and lower levels of body fat percentage have been associated with improved aerobic fitness. PURPOSE: To examine the relationship between body composition and lower body power and aerobic fitness in elite collegiate hockey players. METHODS: Sixteen elite male Canadian university hockey players (age = 22.194 ± 0.99 years, weight = 85.74 ± 5.80 kg, height = 182.25 ± 6.67 cm), participated in the study at the beginning of their hockey season. All participants completed the long jump and the beep-test and a day after testing, one total body dual energy x-ray absorptiometry scan to measure body composition. Simple linear regression was used to explore the relationship between body fat percentage, visceral adipose tissue, and abdominal adipose tissue with aerobic fitness evaluations and leg lean with lower body power. RESULTS: On average body fat percentage was 16.6 ± 3.0%, fat mass 13.7 ± 2.8 kg, abdominal adipose tissue 0.9 ± 0.3 kg, leg lean mass 23.8 ± 1.97 kg, long jump 2.67 ± 0.16 m, beep test 12.8 ± 1.32 min. Visceral adipose tissue explained 24.5% of the variance in the test of aerobic fitness (p .05), while other adiposity measures were non-significant. Body fat percentage and lower lean mass did not significantly contribute to aerobic fitness and lower body power respectively (all p> .05). CONCLUSIONS: Despite a lack of inter-relationships among field tests and body composition, these variables should remain part a test battery to allow strength and conditioning coaches to better tailor training programs for elite hockey players. Keywords: body composition, hockey, Fitness testing