The Priming Effect of Heavy Resisted Sled Sprints on Skating Sprints in Ice Hockey Players: Impact of Neuromuscular Status and Timing of the Priming Intervention

The primary aim of this study was to assess the objective and the perceived priming effect of resisted sled sprints (RSS) on 30 m skating sprint performance in under-20 elite male ice hockey players. Further aims were to determine the impact of pre-priming exercise neuromuscular status on the priming effect of RSS, and whether RSS affects initial acceleration (0-10 m) and high-speed skating (20-30 m) differently in skating sprints. Twenty-one national-level ice hockey players (17.8 ± 0.9 yr) performed 4x15 m RSS with a resistance equating to 50% velocity decrement (Vdec), 1 h (1h-PRE) and 24 h (24h-PRE) before performing a 30 m skating sprint. Neuromuscular status was determined with the mean reactive strength index modified (RSImod) of three countermovement jumps. A repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) yielded no differences in skating sprint times in either timing condition for 0-30, 0-10, and 20-30 m. RSImod was significantly lower (p = 0.01) in the 1h-PRE intervention group (1h-INT) compared to baseline, showing a large effect size of neuromuscular fatigue in 1h-INT (g = 0.89). There was no difference in readiness to perform and ratings of perceived performance in either timing condition. These results suggest that 4x15 m RSS at 50% Vdec provides no priming effect in non-fatigued junior ice hockey players following 1 and 24 h. A possible priming effect exists after 1 h in fatigued athletes. Skating sprint performance was not affected in any condition.