A new study is aiming to enhance the performance of current and upcoming female hockey players by investigating the sweat patterns of athletes in the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL).
Conducted by the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, the research will involve approximately 100 PWHL players, representing all four Canadian teams. The study aims to analyze the players’ sweat levels and salt concentration during practices and games.
Leading the research is Dr. Lawrence Spriet, an exercise physiologist and professor emeritus at the University of Guelph. He emphasized the importance of understanding individual hydration needs for players, likening it to ensuring equipment readiness before hitting the ice.
Montreal Victoire forward Marie-Philip Poulin shared her positive experience with previous sweat tests, highlighting their significance in high-stress scenarios like the four-overtime playoff game her team endured.
Players will undergo sweat tests based on body mass, where they are weighed before and after practices or games to measure fluid loss. Dr. Spriet noted that even a 1.5% loss in body mass due to sweat can impair an athlete’s performance.
The study’s outcomes will not only benefit individual players but will also contribute to a broader research initiative by the Gatorade Sports Science Institute. This larger project aims to create a comprehensive database on hydration practices for elite female athletes.
As women’s sports gain momentum, with new teams joining the PWHL and the WNBA expanding to Canada, the study signifies a crucial step in addressing the specific needs of female athletes. Jayna Hefford, the PWHL’s executive vice-president of hockey operations, emphasized the significance of tailored research for female athletes to optimize their performance.