This primary purpose of this thesis was to investigate the influence of off-ice force-velocity test specificity on the prediction of on-ice acceleration performance in elite long track speed skaters. We assessed a functional force-velocity relationship using three loaded jump protocols. In the first study, we established the intra-day reliability of two novel unilateral loaded jump protocols, the single leg horizontal (JumpHorz) and lateral (JumpLat) jumps. These protocols were shown to be reliable, displaying significant interrelationships with on-ice sprint race split times at distances of 100 m, 400 m, and 500 m. The second study validated an exponential function model to evaluate velocity changes during an on-ice sprint start that provided a more detailed assessment of on-ice acceleration capacity compared to the convention of split times. The exponential model allowed for the calculation of performance parameters, which demonstrated strong reliability, and differentiation between elite and sub-elite athletes. In the final study, we compared the JumpLat, JumpHorz and CMJ loaded jump tests for the prediction of on-ice acceleration performance obtained from our exponential model. Using a regularized regression model, we found that the loading condition is more significant than movement specificity for predicting on-ice acceleration performance. In summary, these studies provide practitioners in skating sports with novel off and on-ice testing methodology that may be used to better monitor performance during the running and gliding phases on-ice, and to inform individualized training prescription.
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