i The Applied Use of Wearable Technology in Elite Female Ice Hockey Adam Douglas A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Program in Kinesiology and Health Science York University Toronto, ON November 2019 provided by YorkSpace View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk CORE © Adam Douglas, 2019 brought to you by ii ABSTRACT Introduction: The use of wearable technology is increasing in the world of elite sport. The incorporation of evidence-based approaches to training has become a critical component in many competitive sports, including ice hockey. Despite its global popularity, ice hockey remains a neglected area of applied sport science research. Objective: (1) To investigate the applied use of wearable technology in world-class female ice hockey; (2) build a strong foundation of applied literature using elite female subjects in an under- researched sport; and (3) provide information to sports science practitioners and coaches to better inform the preparation of athletes. Methods: This study involved retrospective, secondary data analysis of four years of on-ice training and competition sessions from Hockey Canada’s National Women’s Team. Chapter three (Manuscript One) focuses on one full season of data and compares forwards and defensive players in various measures of internal and external load. Chapter four (Manuscript Two) uses data from one pre-season to investigate the differences in on-ice external load between sub-elite and elite female athletes. Chapter five (Manuscript Three) uses competition data to determine the differences in external load measures based on match outcome. Results: The first major finding was that there were differences in both internal and external load measures between training and competition. Forwards had both higher volumes and intensities than defense in both training and competition. Furthering our understanding of the on-ice demands of training and competition, it was found that apparent differences exist between sub-elite and elite athletes in measures of external load. Elite ice hockey players had significantly higher measures for intensity-based measures of external load. The importance of on-ice intensity was additionally supported by examining external load measures in relation to iii match outcome. Among forwards, a significant difference was found for explosive ratio and percentage of high force strides. Conclusions: This is the first study that investigated the use of wearable technology in elite female ice hockey. This data provides a solid groundwork for the continued pursuit of applied sports science in ice hockey. Each of the studies contributes to the existing evidence of athlete monitoring and athlete preparation using wearable technology and the study of elite female athletes. iv DEDICATION To Jack and Cole, I hope you keep asking questions and searching for the answers – no matter your age. v ACKNOWLEGMENTS To my wife Colleen and my sons Jack and Cole, thank you for all your support and love through both my academic and professional journeys. We have moved across the country and back again – and I could not have done it without you. To my parents, thank you for always providing me with an environment of support and challenging me to continue to grow and pursue excellence in everything that I do. I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor Dr. Alison Macpherson for her constant leadership and support. Alison was the one who first planted the seed to undertake this PhD and I am forever grateful of her being the first to see that I had it in me. Thank you for the encouragement every step of the way. To my committee members, Dr. Michael Rotondi, Dr. Joe Baker, and Dr. Veronica Jamnik, I could not have done it without you. Each of you brought your own area of expertise to the project that when combined, made it whole. Thank you for the mentorship and support throughout this journey. Thank you to Hockey Canada for providing the data for use in this study. This work was born out of the conversations and planning sessions between many coaches and athletes that occurred in hockey arenas across the globe. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... ii Dedication ..................................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................v Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables .............................................................................................................................. viii List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... ix List of Acronyms ............................................................................................................................x Chapter One: Introduction ...........................................................................................................1 1.1 Applied Sports Science in Elite Sport ....................................................................................1 1.2 Specific Objective ..................................................................................................................7 Chapter Two: Literature Review .................................................................................................9 2.1 Ice Hockey Demands .............................................................................................................9 2.2 Female Ice Hockey Characteristics and Participation ..........................................................12 2.3 Elite Female Ice Hockey Definition in Literature ................................................................12 2.4 Methods to Quantify Athlete Movements ............................................................................13 2.5 Validity and Reliability of Catapult S5 Units ......................................................................16 2.6 The Application of Wearable Technology in Sport .............................................................19 2.7 Applying Load Monitoring in Elite Sport ............................................................................23 Chapter Three: Manuscript One ................................................................................................27 On-Ice Physical Demands of World-Class Women’s Ice Hockey: From Training to Competition ................................................................................................................................27 Chapter Four: Manuscript Two .................................................................................................48 A Comparison of On-Ice External Load Measures between Sub-Elite and Elite Female Ice Hockey Players ...........................................................................................................................48 Chapter Five: Manuscript Three ...............................................................................................71 On-Ice Measure of External Load in Relation to Match Outcome in Elite Female Ice Hockey Players ........................................................................................................................................71 Chapter Six: Discussion ...............................................................................................................96 6.1 Main Findings ......................................................................................................................96 6.2 Practical Application ............................................................................................................99 6.3 Strengths .............................................................................................................................100 6.4 Limitations .........................................................................................................................101 vii Chapter Seven: Conclusion .......................................................................................................103 Chapter Eight: References ........................................................................................................104 APPENDIX A: Accepted Manuscript in Journal Format (IJSPP) .......................................120 On-Ice Physical Demands of World-Class Women’s Ice Hockey: From Training to Competition ..............................................................................................................................120 APPENDIX B: Accepted Manuscript in Journal Format (Sports) .......................................130 On-Ice Measures of External Load in Relation to Match Outcome in Elite Female Ice Hockey ...............................................................................................................................130 viii LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1: Mean and Standard Deviations of External and Internal Load and Intensity Categorized by Position and Session .............................................................................................36 Table