PhD, Associate Professor A.A. Baryaev¹
PhD, Associate Professor A.V. Ivanov^{1, 2}
PhD M.V. Aranson^1
1St. Petersburg Scientific Research Institute of Physical Culture, St. Petersburg
²Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, St. Petersburg
³Federal Scientific Center for Physical Culture and Sports, Moscow

Keywords: sledge hockey, functionality tests, physical fitness.

Background. Sledge hockey is a team sports game on ice, a version of the traditional ice hockey adapted for people with disabilities and a Paralympic sport discipline with its versatile motor skills and techniques, high speed and constant physical pressure, particularly in the power game. Modern sledge hockey training systems are designed to ensure physical and technical progress of the athletes with permanent functionality and physical fitness tests [1] and analyses to rate progress and individualize the training progress on the whole. The sledge hockey training systems should be health-needs-specific and highly sensitive to the individual physical fitness and actual functionality rates, abilities and motor qualities [2]. The national sledge hockey system in Russia includes a Children's Sledge Hockey League which mission is to promote and popularize modern sledge hockey and increase its contribution to the social rehabilitation service for the disabled children and youth.

Objective of the study was to analyze benefits of the key physical fitness and functionality tests applicable in the youth sledge hockey sport.

Methods and structure of the study. Modern sledge hockey gives a special priority to many physical qualities including speed (response rates, motor speed, startup movement speed, specific action speed etc.), dexterity (movement coordination, muscular sensations, spatial orientation, relaxation skills), endurance (special and speed keeping), plus explosive strength and active flexibility [3]. It should be emphasized that the health tests and training progress test systems should produce extensive progress stage-specific physical fitness and functionality test data arrays for analyses.

Results and discussion. All stress tests in sledge hockey may be run using a Firstbeat (or similar) system with a special priority to the cardiovascular system performance tests to produce real-time heart rate variability data under stress read by a chest-fixed sensor. Such a test system produces individual test profiles for every player. As provided by V.A. Shioshvili, the test set includes the following methods [4]:

1. Ergometer tests to profile the players' motor skills (repulsions) using a Vasa ergometer or similar type. The test system includes a roller hockey sledge, with the  subject operating the ergometer handles for 30 s with the arms moved forward to full extension and then repulsed back with full power. The Vasa ergometer tests include three 30-second stages with 3 min rest breaks with the right, left and both hands tested to yield the following data: (1) Repulsion rate (pushes/ min); (2) Average both-hands push power (W); 3) average right/ left hand push power (W); (4) Heart rate prior to the test and on its peak (beats/ min), and recovery time (min); and (5) blood pressure prior to and after the test (mm Hg), and recovery time (min).

Tests 2-5 described hereinafter are run on an ice sledge using the Fitlight (or similar) test system. The system includes 5 light sensors fixed in a straight line 15 cm high from the ice and 5 m afar from each other – to split up the test track into 4 five-meter segments. The track is equipped with cones against each sensor to form a test corridor for the following tests.

2. 20m straight no-pack sprint test that yields the following test rates: (1) Each 5m segment run time, s; (2) First 10m run speed, m/s; (3) 20m run time, s; (4) Push-off rate on the first 10m and 20m (pushes/ min); and (5) Heart rate prior to and on peak of the test (beats/ min), and recovery time (min).

3.  20m zigzag no-pack sprint test different from the above only in the zigzag run trajectory along the straight sensor line, to yield the following test data: (1) Each 5m segment run time, s; (2) Time differences on the sensors – right/ left hand (s); (3) 20m run time, s; (4) Push-off rate (pushes/ min); and (5) Heart rate prior to the test and on the test peak (beats/ min), and recovery time (min).

4.  20m zigzag with-pack sprint test (run with pack) to yield the following test data: (1) Each 5m segment run time for the right/ left hands, s; (2) Time differences on the sensors – right/ left hand, s; (3) Push-off rate (pushes/ min); and (4) Heart rate prior to the test and on the test peak (beats/ min), and recovery time (min).

5. 80-100m speed-strength endurance rating test, with the player running an n-shaped track on the ice rink along the long board, behind the gate and back along the other board. The subject runs the test twice with the right and left turns. The Fitlight system uses 4 sensors and 3 segments in this case, with two 10m segments on the start and finish of the distance, to obtain the following data: (1) Segment run time for the right/ left turns, s; (2) Time differences of right-/ left-turn runs (s); (3) Distance run time, s; (4) Starting 10m speed, m/s; (5) Push-off rate for the whole distance and 10m start segment (pushes/ min); and (6) Heart rate prior to the test and on the test peak (beats/ min), and recovery time (min).

6. 5m standing shooting accuracy/ strength test on a sledge, with two attempts for every hand, to obtain the following test data: (1) Shooting accuracy; and (2) Top shooting speed (km/h).

Physical trainings in modern sledge hockey include special exercises with an emphasis on the individual technical and tactical mastery, with the sledge hockey player expected to be highly skillful in the sledge control, pack shooting, economic passing, power pressure game for the whole match, accelerations, turns, rotations, redirections, fast stops and many other elements. The technical and physical progresses in the sledge hockey trainings are interrelated and equally important, with good physical fitness forming a basis for the technical and tactical progress. Modern sledge hockey training systems are focused on the general and sport-specific motor qualities and skills need to be improved and maintained in both the anaerobic and aerobic energy supply modes.

Conclusion. The sledge hockey player's functionality and physical fitness should be high enough to cope with the growing training and competitive work pressures and stressors. Practical experience and research in youth sledge hockey give reasons to recommended that the coaches and families should have permissions from the relevant regulatory and health agencies for the sledge hockey trainings and competitions. The heath tests and training progress tests and analyses in every stage of the training process should be comprehensive enough to ensure that the individual physical fitness and functionality make it possible for the player to safely cope with the physical stressors of the sledge hockey sport.

References

1. Ivanov A.V., Baryaev A.A., Badrak K.A. Diagnostic complex of pedagogical control over physical fitness of hockey sledge players. Adaptivnaya fizicheskaya kultura. 2017. No. 3 (71). pp. 43-45.
2. Ivanov A.V., Baryaev A.A., Badrak K.A. Features of training and competitive activity in sledge hockey]. Actual problems in physical education and sports. Proc. nat. research-practical conference with international participation dedicated to the 85th anniversary of the FSBI SPbNIIFK. In 2 volumes. 2018. pp. 86-90.
3. Ivanov A.V., Vorobyev S.A., Baryaev A.A. et al. Pedagogical control of physical fitness and assessment of competitive activity in sledge hockey. Study guide. Izhevsk, 2018. 57 p.
4. Assessment of functional state of children and adolescents involved in sledge hockey (part 3). Guidelines No. 89. Scientific and Practical Center of Child Psychoneurology of Moscow Department of Health. M., 2018. 24 p.

Corresponding author: and-rey_v@mail.ru

Abstract

Objective of the study was to analyze benefits of the key physical fitness and functionality tests applicable in the youth sledge hockey sport.
Methods and structure of the study. Modern sledge hockey gives a special priority to many physical qualities including speed (response rates, motor speed, startup movement speed, specific action speed etc.), dexterity (movement coordination, muscular sensations, spatial orientation, relaxation skills), endurance (special and speed keeping), plus explosive strength and active flexibility. It should be emphasized that the health tests and training progress test systems should produce extensive progress stage-specific physical fitness and functionality test data arrays for analyses.

Results and conclusions. All stress tests in sledge hockey may be run using a Firstbeat (or similar) system with a special priority to the cardiovascular system performance tests to produce real-time heart rate variability data under stress read by a chest-fixed sensor. Such a test system produces individual test profiles for every player.

The sledge hockey player's functionality and physical fitness should be high enough to cope with the growing training and competitive work pressures and stressors. Practical experience and research in youth sledge hockey give reasons to recommended that the coaches and families should have permissions from the relevant regulatory and health agencies for the sledge hockey trainings and competitions. The heath tests and training progress tests and analyses in every stage of the training process should be comprehensive enough to ensure that the individual physical fitness and functionality make it possible for the player to safely cope with the physical stressors of the sledge hockey sport.