Ready for Your 45?

This post isn’t about your next 400 meter time or moving up to the next Masters age group in a few months.

If you are a hockey fan (aren’t all Canadians hockey fans by birth?) you’ve seen the Nike Commercials for “What’s your 45?” or “Ready for Your 45?”

This concept is based on the average shift for a typical hockey player.

For me, I always liked and hated the 2 x 40 second workout. In 40 seconds, you can cover anywhere from 300 to 350 meters. The first 30 seconds are easy. It’s the last 10 seconds that hurt. Earlier in the season, it was not uncommon to do 3 sets of 40 seconds (3 x 300 or 325 meters).

We all know the effects of fatigue in the long sprints based on physiological energy systems, but what about hockey? Obviously, these professionals have more than 2 shifts in a game!

One of my former athletes, Tom Wu, a Ph. D. candidate at the Sports Biomechanics Laboratory in University of Alberta, Edmonton, wrote THE EFFECTS OF FATIGUE ON SKATING MECHANICS IN ICE HOCKEY.

Based on the results of this study, it was concluded that fatigue in ice hockey leads to biomechanical responses that could translate into decreased on ice performance.

The results of this study indicated the importance of limiting shift lengths in games, especially overtime periods!

For younger athletes, it is also important to consider the effects of over-skating in practice, as conditions of fatigue may hinder proper skill development.

You can download the PDF here. It’s an interesting read.

Here is a funny video on YouTube with Jerome Iginla in the “Ready for Your 45?” Nike Commercial: