Effect of weightloss on speed

[Alfie#11]

I was wondering if anyone has an idea about how much weightloss can improve skating speed.

I'm about 50 pounds overweight. I have always had relatively strong legs and can keep up decently on the ice as long as I put for the effort. I can't keep the effort up for too long as I fatigue but I can definitely get in on a defenceman and forecheck effectively.

I have started a weightloss and exercise program. I'm wondering - if I do ok at 50lbs overweight, could the weightloss turn me into a much faster player?

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[the pen is mightier]

I was wondering if anyone has an idea about how much weightloss can improve skating speed.

I'm about 50 pounds overweight. I have always had relatively strong legs and can keep up decently on the ice as long as I put for the effort. I can't keep the effort up for too long as I fatigue but I can definitely get in on a defenceman and forecheck effectively.

I have started a weightloss and exercise program. I'm wondering - if I do ok at 50lbs overweight, could the weightloss turn me into a much faster player?

As a runner who has shed 40 lbs, yes.

 

[VanillaCoke]

You'll feel twice as fast. Keep up your leg strength though.

 

[ColePens]

I trained specifically for hockey and in 9th/10th grade I started training with a hockey specific trainer. Here is my quick advice on the 3 things that made me faster and took me from a good player to a great player.

1) Stretching: #1 on the list is something you probably didn't think of. Stretching helped me the most. I got more out of my strides just by stretching. That was one focal point my trainer wanted me to focus on.

2) Weight Loss/Nutrition: Eating healthy in general just gives you more energy. Period. Weight loss will of course add to it.

3) Explosive/Strength training: Just being able to lift weight doesn't make you fast/explosive. You have to build the muscle and turn it into explosive power. Box jumps, sprints, etc combined with lunges, squats, deadlifts, etc. The combination of the two make you faster. Sometimes you can even practice explosive weight lifting (as long as it's controlled) to be able to fire up that weight. Then you can also add quick feet drills based on what level you are at (ladder/jump rope/cones,etc).

 

[Alfie#11]

Thanks for the thoughts guys, especially ColePens. After a bit I'll post my updates and see how much quicker I've gotten.

It just hit me one day that if I'm decent at this weight, maybe at normal weight I would be a legit fast player.

It gives me extra motivation to ditch the extra weight.

 

[Kathryn Tappen]

It might be in my head a little bit, but I used to be an avid runner at 135 pounds. I began bulking and when I became 145 pounds I could really feel it,

 

[FLYLine27*]

You will get a bit faster, but don't think you will be a speed demon. You will lose muscle in your legs so that evens it out a bit...but yea, you'll get a bit faster with better endurance.

Endurance (at a high pace) > Speed

 

[ColePens]

You will get a bit faster, but don't think you will be a speed demon. You will lose muscle in your legs so that evens it out a bit...but yea, you'll get a bit faster with better endurance.

Endurance (at a high pace) > Speed

I disagree, but I may be misunderstanding what you are saying. I am in full support of training your muscles while you are tired, but if you mean endurance such as long distance running, I completely disagree. That won't help much in a sport such as hockey.

But you may just be meaning endurance in terms of like sprint endurance.

 

[the pen is mightier]

I disagree, but I may be misunderstanding what you are saying. I am in full support of training your muscles while you are tired, but if you mean endurance such as long distance running, I completely disagree. That won't help much in a sport such as hockey.

But you may just be meaning endurance in terms of like sprint endurance.

I think he may mean something more to the effect of being able to sustain effort at or around lactate threshold. That being said, sprint/speed training will help to push that threshold higher. I think the 2 kind of go together.

But to the OPs situation; I was in the same boat, was 250, now around 200, big difference in speed and endurance, some due to weight loss, some to building muscle, a lot due to being generally less sedentary.

 

[jorbjorb]

i feel a lot more agile and quicker being at 158 from 168

 

[FLYLine27*]

I disagree, but I may be misunderstanding what you are saying. I am in full support of training your muscles while you are tired, but if you mean endurance such as long distance running, I completely disagree. That won't help much in a sport such as hockey.

But you may just be meaning endurance in terms of like sprint endurance.

Ya that's what I meant, sorry for the confusion. Basically a good hockey shift, is going 110% at almost a full sprint most of the time aside from the coasting here and there. If you get off the ice and aren't tired after a minute shift, than you're doing it wrong lol.

 

[Lonny Bohonos]

i feel a lot more agile and quicker being at 158 from 168

Having lost some weight myself I think this is a big thing. Carrying weight especially higher up makes you top heavy and having more weight to push/pull/turn.

That and the stretching as was mention before.

 

[1972]

I went from being a decent hockey player in my late teens, then I slowly gained about 40 pounds and reached my peak at 241 pounds at 5-10...I've always had hands but at this point I was way too slow to do anything on the ice, i was a turnover machine, i wanted to quit hockey at this point. In the last year and a bit I've managed to lose about 35 pounds and am around 205 (still way overweight) but I feel incredibly light and can make plays, a lot quicker out there. I still have 30 pounds to lose IMO, and I can only imagine it would make me that much better of a player.

Fat loss alone will make you a FAR quicker and agile hockey player. If you added in a weightlifting and stretching routine you'd become even that much better.