Abstract
Body composition measurements remain one of the best objective ways to analyze
tissue distribution in athletes. The purpose of this study was to establish an
average body composition profile for professional male ice hockey players,
assess the yearly fluctuations of body composition after a single season, and
assess body composition changes among different positions. Body composition was
measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in 36 professional male ice
hockey players. Descriptive statistics were used to determine average values. A
paired samples t-test was applied to determine differences over a one-year
period. A one-way analysis of variance was used to determine differences between
positions, at both time points. Alpha levels were set a priori at
p<0.05. Significant increases were observed in percent body fat across
time points for all positions (p=0.019). There were significant
differences in percent body fat between positions played (p=0.012) after
one year. We demonstrated that there was low variability among the different
positions in professional male ice hockey players. Additionally, we observed how
a single year minimally influences changes in body composition. More research is
required to evaluate body composition in male ice hockey players.
Key words
ice hockey - professional - body composition
