The Leksand Hockey Trial on Grip Strength

Dalarna County Council, Sweden

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Injuries; Performance; Grip Strength

Treatments: Other: Training following a predefined protocol.

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07115160

2024-08560-01

Details and patient eligibility

About

This project, titled The Leksand Hockey Trial on Grip Strength, investigates whether grip strength is related to performance in professional hockey players. Grip strength is already known to reflect general health and muscle function, and it plays a key role in ice hockey, where players rely on strong hands and forearms for stick handling, shooting, and physical challenges on the ice. Despite this, no clinical study has yet explored whether stronger grip strength leads to better on-ice performance. In this pilot study, we will first examine if there is a correlation between grip strength and key performance indicators such as game score (a combined measure of offensive and defensive contribution), number of shots on goal, and shooting precision. Grip strength will be measured using a standardized protocol and professional players from SHL, SDHL, and HockeyAllsvenskan will be included. Performance data will be collected before and after the grip strength assessment. Additionally, injuries sustained during the study period will be recorded and monitored as an outcome measure. We will investigate whether there is any correlation between grip strength and injury incidence to assess if stronger grip strength may influence injury risk or resilience in professional hockey players. In the second part of the study, players will follow a grip-strength training program to determine whether improvements in grip strength lead to better performance. If a link is found, grip strength could be used as a simple and reliable proxy for player performance and may justify the inclusion of specific grip training in professional hockey conditioning programs. This study aims to fill a knowledge gap in elite sports science and could help optimize training and evaluation methods in professional ice hockey.

Full description

This study, titled The Leksand Hockey Trial on Grip Strength, aims to explore the relationship between grip strength (GS) and athletic performance in professional ice hockey players. Grip strength is a well-established biomarker for general muscle function, physical capability, and even long-term health outcomes. It is commonly used in sports medicine, rehabilitation, and performance diagnostics due to its simplicity, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. In ice hockey, grip strength plays a particularly critical role given the physical demands of stickhandling, shooting, passing, puck control, and body contact situations.

Despite its relevance, the correlation between grip strength and actual game performance in elite hockey players has not been systematically studied. This project addresses two primary research questions: (1) Does grip strength correlate with performance in professional hockey players? and (2) Does improved grip strength result in measurable performance improvements?

The study will be conducted in two phases. In Phase 1, we will recruit approximately 40 professional male and female hockey players from the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL), and HockeyAllsvenskan. Each participant will undergo grip strength testing using the standardized HAKIR protocol with a Jamar dynamometer. Three alternating trials per hand will be recorded, and the average grip strength (in kilograms) will be calculated. Simultaneously, player performance will be assessed based on three key metrics:

Game Score: A composite metric capturing offensive and defensive contributions, adjusted for even-strength playing time (adapted from existing SHL models).

Shots on Goal: Total number of shots per game.

Shooting Precision: Ratio of goals to total shots taken.

Injuries sustained during the season

Each of these metrics will be collected for the five games preceding and following grip strength measurement. Statistical analyses will include Pearson correlation, t-tests, chi-square tests, and non-parametric alternatives where appropriate. Estimates will be presented with 95% confidence intervals, and p-values < 0.05 will be considered statistically significant. As a pilot study, no formal power calculation will be performed initially, but variance estimates will be used to plan a larger future trial.

Additionally, injuries sustained during the study period will be recorded and monitored as an outcome measure. We will investigate whether there is any correlation between grip strength and injury incidence to assess if stronger grip strength may influence injury risk or resilience in professional hockey players.

In Phase 2, participants will engage in a standardized grip-strength training program over a defined period (see Appendix D). Post-intervention grip strength and performance metrics will be reassessed using the same methods to determine whether an increase in grip strength is associated with performance improvement.

Inclusion criteria include:

Active rostered player in SHL, SDHL, or HockeyAllsvenskan

No current hand or wrist injury

Exclusion criteria:

Not currently signed in the aforementioned leagues

Current injury to the hand or wrist that impairs testing

This project addresses a notable knowledge gap in elite performance research. If grip strength is shown to correlate with or enhance performance, it could be used as a proxy marker in sports performance evaluations and as a justification for implementing targeted grip-strength training in professional hockey conditioning programs. The findings may contribute to improved training strategies, rehabilitation protocols, and performance monitoring in elite ice hockey.

Enrollment: 40 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Professional hockey player signed in the SHL/SDHL/Hockey Allsvenskan
• No current hand injury

Exclusion criteria

• Not signed in the SHL/SDHL/Hockey Allsvenskan
• Current hand injury

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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40 participants in 1 patient group

Grip Strength Training

Experimental group

Description:

In the second phase of the study, a standardized grip strength training program will be implemented as the primary intervention. This program is designed to improve grip strength in professional hockey players over a defined period (details in Appendix D). All participants who completed Phase 1 will undergo this intervention. The training program includes specific exercises targeting the forearm flexors and extensors, wrist stability, and hand grip endurance. Typical exercises may involve hand grippers, wrist rollers, towel wringing, plate pinches, and resisted squeezing movements using elastic bands or putty. Training frequency, intensity, duration, and progression will be standardized and supervised to ensure consistency across participants. After completion of the training period, grip strength will be re-measured using the same HAKIR protocol and dynamometer. Performance metrics-game score, shots on goal, and shooting precision-will also be collected for the five games following

Treatment:

Other: Training following a predefined protocol.