Creatine Supplementation

Creatine is the most popular and commonly used sports supplement available today. For the majority of the population, including both elite athletes and untrained individuals, creatine supplementation increases fat free mass and improves anaerobic and possibly aerobic performance. It’s a compound found in the body along with PCr (creatine phosphate) and serves to provide the body with its main source of fuel, ATP during short bouts of intense exercise.
When an athlete supplements with creatine, they are increasing the amount of resting creatine in their muscles which helps increase the amount of PCr by 12-18%. This will increase the amount of ATP available to the muscle tissues and thus help the athlete produce more force and endure an increased workload.
Creatine by itself however is not anabolic and does not produce any gains in lean muscle mass. Weight gain will be noticed as water retention increases dramatically upon taking creatine, which may be of concern to some athletes involved in weight bearing activities.
Runners for example, show a decreased performance upon taking creatine as their weight increases which slows down their time. Therefore, creatine can be beneficial for some athletes, such as those involved in anaerobic non-weight bearing activities. Another negative side effect of creatine, apart from water weight gain is muscle cramping due to increased muscle compartment pressure.
Creatine, when taken in large doses can affect renal function such as glomerular filtration. The typical dose of creatine taken is 20 grams per day during the initial loading phase and then 5 grams per day in the maintenance phase. Athletes often take more than the recommended dose however, adopting the 'more is better mentality', which is unnecessary and will be more harmful than anything.
The largest safety concern with creatine is most likely the quality of the product.
Supplementation with large doses of creatine taken for prolonged periods of time, has not been sufficiently screened for contaminants, could be potentially harmful. Finding a reputable company that provides quality creatine product is very important when considering creatine supplementation.
Finally creatine, which could be one of the most popular bodybuilding supplements, is effective; not directly, but by allowing the individual to work harder, recover faster and thus increase muscle mass through an increased work output. This is a perfect example of how a good workout program will work with the supplement to show an increase in performance

4 Helpful Diet Questions

What you eat affects what your body looks like, how you feel, how you perform during a practice or game and how well you do in school. So, pretty much everything you do on a daily basis is affected by how you are fueling yourself.
-Are you planning ahead and ensuring that you have the food and drinks you need to carry you through your school day? Most teenagers know that if they eat a diet full of meat lover’s pizza, fries and chicken fingers, they are loading up on saturated fat (the kind that clogs your arteries like gunk stuck in a drainpipe) and calories that aren't very useful.
-What are useful calories? Those are the kind in nutrient-dense foods. Or, let's call them power-packed foods because they pack power and health in every bite or sip.
So for instance, a grilled chicken salad and skim milk is a power-packed lunch because the lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, bell peppers and grilled chicken are loaded with vitamins and minerals that help produce energy from the foods you eat, maintain good eyesight, and keep your muscles functioning well. And of course milk is a great source of protein, calcium and vitamin D.
-A lunch of French fries and chicken wings do not deliver near the nutrition power that the grilled chicken salad will. Do you notice how water gets stopped up in a clogged drain? Think about your blood (which delivers oxygen to your tissues, like your muscle and brain!) moving through clogged arteries. Not an efficient process.
Scientists have actually examined what nutritionists have known for years. If you put junk in your body, you won't perform as well academically. In particular, kids who eat breakfast boost their brain functioning, memory, test grades and they have better attendance records. And, those who ate breakfast were also less likely to be overweight.
Yep, eating regularly actually helps you manage a healthy weight! So be sure to eat breakfast before you leave the house, on the way to school or at school. Your body will thank you.
-What types of foods do you need to keep your brain functioning well? Carbohydrates are the only fuel your brain can use and if you don't eat or drink enough carbohydrate, your body will use your storage forms of carbohydrates (which are really intended for athletic performance so if you don't eat enough carbs and your body's storage form of carbohydrate is tapped, your athletic performance will suffer). Healthy fats are also very important. In fact, many of the processes in your brain are regulated by a fat called DHA.
Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, herring, halibut and tuna are great sources of DHA. And, protein-rich foods help build your brain's complex communication network. Lastly, don't forget colorful fruits and vegetables. They are chock-full of antioxidants which keep all of our cells healthy.

Importance of Leg Strength

You see lots of athletes in the gym who are still just doing the typical beach body workout. Just about in every sport especially hockey, your legs are the origin of force development. The exerting force against the ground that is further transferred up and throughout the body for all movements; as well the trunk (abdominal-low back complex) has a tremendous importance in sport.
All forces transferred from ground up, so if the core is weak, force is reduced as it is transferred to upper torso. Hip and trunk rotation, core stabilization and dynamic balance are key aspects to optimal athletic performance.

Off Season lower body strength
General Strength Acquisition
3 sets x 10-12 repetitions (*warm-up sets)
Rest 90-seconds between sets
Tempo = 3 – 0 – 2
Stretching must be done every day. Do NOT neglect this component.

Hockey-Specific Exercises
Hamstring Curl- 3 x 10-12 reps
Lie face down on leg curl bench with heel roller pad resting on back of ankles with the knees just off the bottom of the bench. Slowly curl the legs towards the buttocks, keep the hips pressed into the bench and slowly lower to starting position. This exercise is also performed using one leg at a time.

Lunge- 3 x 10-12 reps
Hold light dumbbells and step forward with a slightly exaggerated stride until the front thigh is parallel to the ground. Do not allow the knee to extend beyond the toes and keep the knee and foot in alignment. The trailing knee should be 3-5 cm from floor. Keep the torso vertical and push off the lead leg to return to the starting position.

Sumo Squat- 3 x 10-12 reps
Perform a regular squat but stand with legs spread extremely wide apart in order to train the adductors (groin) to a greater extent. Rest the barbell on the trapezius (NOT the neck). Position the feet and hips under bar, take it off the rack and take 2 steps back. Place the feet shoulder-width apart with the head up. Drop the hips and "sit back into a chair". Start the movement at the hip joint, not the knees. Squat as deep as possible in this position by flexing at hip and sticking your butt out, and keep the low back tensed in a neutral position. Return to the starting position by extending at the hips and the knees.

Hydration Education

An often overlooked area for coaches is whether or not their players are properly hydrated before, during and after practices and games. This matters because players who are dehydrated perform at lower levels and they do not recover as quickly. Proper hydration has a direct impact on performance.
The most important fuel for athletes is carbohydrates which should be consumed as a regular part of an athlete’s diet. They are the fuel for the engine. Athletes should eat 3-4 hours prior to competition and consume replacement carbs as soon as possible after practice/games.
Some sports drinks claim to offer combinations of carbohydrates, sodium, protein and electrolytes. Some of these products are actually quite beneficial to athletes and are great compliments to ordinary water. These drinks, for example Gatorade Endurance, are a mix of bitter and sweet flavor and as a result do not quench thirst thereby encouraging the athlete to drink more than might be consumed with plain water.
At the International Coaches Conference during the IIHF World Championships in May, 2008, Dr. Lawrence Spreit conducted some research on an NHL team, a Canadian Junior team and several high school age teams. The results were very interesting and so as not to present too much science, I have listed the important findings below.

• The research indicated that 75% of high school players arrived at the rink partially dehydrated.

• Players lose as much as 1.5 liters of fluids during a game and goalies as much as 3 liters.

• Players lose on average 4 teaspoons of salt during games.

• Goalies lose as much as 3 liters of fluid per practice.

• 30% of properly hydrated players will become dehydrated during practice.


Hydration matters because it materially impacts performance. Just like your car engine will quite working efficiently when the coolant levels fall causing the engine to overheat, so to with athletes. For every 1% your body is dehydrated there’s a 5% decrease in your performance. Therefore if your body is just 5% dehydrated your performance has decrease 25%, that’s a lot think about it. So now do you think Coaches need to educate their players about the importance of proper hydration?

Noisemakers in College Hockey

With our home opener tonight I think now’s a good time to talk about fan support and noisemakers. Stated by the NCAA as Rule 10-3.5, artificial Noisemakers can be any object that is used to manufacture noise by contact with another object or surface. (This also includes inflatable noisemakers, whistles etc.) The use of artificial noisemakers while the game is in progress is prohibited. Once the game has started, it is “in progress” except for time outs and during intermission. The official shall exercise the same discretion regarding artificial noisemakers as is used for any other non-compliance to the rules problems emanating from the followers of a team. According to the NCAA Rule 6, section 30, paragraph b states “Spectators are not permitted to use artificial noisemakers, air horns or electronic amplifiers while the game is in progress”.
As a player I love hearing noisemakers and a fan cheering it brings up the intensity of the game so much. I understand what the NCAA is saying and how the noises on the side can interfere with the calls made during the game. I think any noise made by a fan that does not sound like a whistle should be aloud. Do you think these types of objects should be aloud at not just hockey but all college events?

H1N1 shots to hockey team

The LaSalle Vipers hockey team is not the first to receive flu shots ahead of members of the public who are supposed to receive priority. After being in my locker room for not even a week I a have noticed how many guys have flu like symptoms. Alberta’s health authority has fired two people for involvement in giving Calgary Flames players and their families the H1N1 vaccine. The shots began a couple of weeks ago and were to be administered on a priority basis, starting with the most at-risk groups, such as people with chronic medical conditions under the age of 65, pregnant women, children ages six months to five years, health-care workers, and those who have had household contact with infected people. Although they have these people who are a priority to get the shot before others, I still think these people should be participants of an organized sport. The reason for this is because they are consistently around the same people, who they are close with while being in the locker room, share the same water bottles and bathing stuff in the showers. Do you think participants in an organized sports should be part of the priority?
http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Ontario+health+unit+investigated+over+H1N1+shots+hockey+team/2198109/story.html