Effects of a 7-Day Step Taper, Training Cessation, and Retraining on Lower Body Physical and Morphological Aspects in Elite Female Ice Hockey Players

Daichi Nishiumi¹Daichi Yamashita^2*Takanori Kurokawa¹Naoki Hirase¹Kazuki Wakamiya¹Iñigo Mujika³Norikazu Hirose¹

• ¹Waseda University, Tokyo, Tōkyō, Japan
• ²Japan Institute of Sports Sciences (JISS), Tokyo, Japan
• ³University of the Basque Country, Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain

Purpose: This study investigated the effects of a 7-day step taper before a national championship, followed by 2 weeks of training cessation and 2 weeks of retraining on lower body physical and morphological aspects. Methods: Seven elite female ice hockey players (age: 23 ± 4 years) participated in six testing sessions: two baseline sessions, one pre-championship (after taper), one after a 2-week training cessation, and two following retraining (after 1 week and after 2 weeks). Assessments included body composition, vastus lateralis muscle architecture (muscle thickness, pennation angle, fascicle length), and lower body vertical force–time metrics (countermovement jump [CMJ], squat jump [SJ], and loaded SJ). During the tapering period, training duration was reduced by 35%. During retraining, participants performed three weekly sessions of fast eccentric squats, with 4 sets of 8 repetitions per session, gradually increasing intensity from 45.5% to 63.5% of estimated 1RM. Results: Tapering did not affect any of the lower body physical and morphological measures. Training cessation induced declines in braking rate of force development (13.1%, p < 0.05), braking peak force during CMJ (5.5%, p < 0.05), and muscle mass (3.6%, p = 0.03). All metrics returned to post-taper values within 1 week of retraining. Conclusions: 2 weeks of training cessation induced minor declines in eccentric muscle performance, but recovered within 1 week of retraining. This study provides valuable insights for practitioners in designing effective peaking, off season and retraining programs in female ice hockey.