Physical activity profiles of male international field hockey players are greater in the Olympic Games versus other competitions

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the GPS-derived physical activity profiles of an Olympic Games versus other in-season international hockey tournaments. Methods: 10Hz GPS units were used to assess the activity profiles (total distance; TD, high speed running distance; HSR, sprint distance; SD and max velocity; MV) of outfield players in a men’s international hockey squad. Data was collected during the 2016 Rio Olympic Games (OG), an Olympic Games qualifying tournament (World League 3; WL3) and a regular in-season competitive tournament (6 Nations; 6N). Results: There were significant differences (p<0.05, mod ES) between defenders versus midfielders/ forwards pooled across tournaments in all running variables. There were significant (p<0.05, small ES) differences between OG and 6N in TD, HSR, SD and MV, and between OG and WL3 in HSR. There were significant positional x competition interactions for TD between defenders and forwards between 6N/ WL3 compared to OG. Conclusions: Competition level (i.e. OG, WL3 and 6N) can affect the physical demands of hockey even within the same playing level (i.e. international). Therefore, development of different physical capacity levels of players and periodization of training may be warranted to prepare for specific events.