Getting Fit For Hockey A recent article in the Globe and Mail dealt with the issue of heart attacks in men’s recreational hockey. It pointed out that “each year 12 to 15 of the estimated 10,000 Canadian men who play recreational and pick up hockey for fun die with their skates on”. That number may be higher if deaths occurring after the games are considered. Why do these deaths occur? First of all hockey is a highly physical game. It involves intense, short bursts of activity, compounded by the “adrenaline rush” of competition. If there is a shortage of players, there may be too little time for heart rates to recover between shifts. All of these things combined can push a player’s heart rate into a danger zone. To gauge what can happen during a game, a doctor quoted in the Globe and Mail article monitored his heart rate by wearing a pulse meter while he played. He found that his heart rate reached a very high 188 beats per minute, even though his recommended maximum rate was 171. The article also reviewed a Cape Breton study which monitored 113 hockey players aged 24 to 62. All of them “exceeded target heart rates for an average of 30 minutes per game” and “more than 75% had rates above 100% of their predicted maximum heart rates.” Seventy percent of players had poor heart rate recovery. It appears that many middle-aged hockey players aren’t aware of, or at least won’t acknowledge, the risks. They have always relied on getting into shape by playing, and see no need to change. For some, that decision may be fatal, especially if they have other health issues such as high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, obesity and/or smoking. Many communities are trying to change these attitudes by promoting fitness programs for adult recreational hockey players. They are encouraging men and women to stay fit year round, or at least start exercising well before the season starts. There is also an emphasis on players working out between games to maintain fitness levels. If a player has heart risk factors, a medical assessment is a good idea before starting to play. A cardiac stress test might be ordered to rule out problems. One final comment: although the above issues relate to hockey, they are relevant to all of us involved in any intense physical activity. We all need to be cautious and get prepared for our sport.