Physiological Profiles of Professional Ice Hockey Players: Reference Values from a Mid-Tier Team

This study establishes reference physiological values for a professional men's ice hockey team in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) through comprehensive periodic health evaluation (PHE).Twenty-one players underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing on a cycle ergometer, spirometry, resting ECG, and blood analyses following standardized protocols.Median VO₂max was 39.0 ml•min⁻ ¹•kg⁻ ¹ (IQR 37.25;41.15),peak power output 320.0 W (IQR 289.5; 335.0), vital capacity 6.51 L (IQR 6.2; 6.74), and resting heart rate 57.0 bpm (IQR 51.0; 62.0).Body fat percentage was 11.4% (IQR 8.15; 12.3), hemoglobin 151.0 g/L (IQR 147.0; 155.0), and testosterone 22.06 nmol/L (IQR 17.14; 30.31).The obtained physiological parameters align with professional athlete norms, providing updated data for player profiling.These reference values complement existing elite athlete databases and offer a baseline for optimizing training programs and monitoring adaptation in professional ice hockey players.