5 Supplements Hockey Players Should Consider

If you want to improve your stamina on the ice, you should be doing treadmill sprints a few times per week.  If you want to improve your puck control, you should be doing pre-game stickhandling drills.

But even if you do all the proper training, you may still want a performance boost. Certain supplements may be able to provide that.

Here are a few supplements hockey players may want to consider to improve their performance and recovery.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and none of this is medical advice.  Always consult your doctor or medical professional before taking any supplement.  Supplements are unregulated and everyone’s body is different.

Electrolytes

Are electrolytes even considered a supplement? Maybe. Maybe not. But they certainly can help your on-ice performance.

If you don’t replace lost fluids and electrolytes when you sweat, your performance will suffer. In fact, just 2% dehydration can result in a 10% loss of aerobic capacity!

Hockey players may sweat more than most athletes due to the high intensity nature of a shift coupled with wearing layers of equipment. Therefore it’s almost always a good idea for hockey players to drink electrolytes during the game.

Protein

As a general rule of thumb, active individuals should consume about 1.5g of protein per kg of body weight per day.

Unless you’re making a conscious effort to eat more protein, it’s very hard to hit that number.  When you repeatedly fall short of that protein goal, your body never truly has enough building blocks to repair the muscle breakdown that occurs during workouts, practices and games. When this happens, performance suffers.

Even when consciously trying to eat more protein, it’s difficult to hit that number with food alone.  Most people need to supplement with protein powder.

There are many different types of protein – whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, vegan protein powder, powders, premade drinks, and so on.  For the sake of hitting a daily protein goal, the type of protein powder you choose isn’t too important.  It’s more important that you hit the number. Eventually, you’ll find a protein powder that you enjoy enough to take daily.

Creatine

Creatine is one of the most studied supplements. It’s considered very safe.  While it’s known for its muscle building and sports performance benefits, research is now showing that its benefits for brain health and fatigue may be even more impressive.

Creatine and sports performance

Creatine has been studied for decades and the results are clear – creatine “exerts positive ergogenic effects on single and multiple bouts of short-duration, high-intensity exercise activities” – aka hockey.

In addition, creatine supplementation increases maximal strength, maximal work output, power production, sprint performance and recovery time. All of these things would benefit a hockey player.

Creatine and memory

There’s an interesting study that shows creatine improving the memory performance of older adults. While this study focused on people older than 65 years old and may not directly impact a younger hockey player, the theory is that creatine plays a role in the brain’s bioenergetics that could possibly benefit everyone.

More impressively is that this study showed these benefits at even small doses of 2.2 grams per day.  The standard dose is 5 grams per day.

Creatine and concussions

One of the more interesting creatine studies relevant to hockey players shows creatine’s ability to possibly protect the brain from damage resulting from traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and concussions.

While the mechanisms for creatine’s concussion-protection benefits remain a mystery, it appears that creatine’s support of the brain’s mitochondrial function protects against secondary longer-term damage following a concussion.

Although the science is still early, taking creatine as a preventative measure against concussions in hockey may be a good move, with the performance benefits being a secondary bonus.

Creatine and fatigue

A double-blind study out of the University of Tokyo showed that 8 grams of creatine per day reduced mental fatigue. This is particularly interesting because creatine is certainly known for its ability to prevent muscle fatigue, but preventing mental fatigue is a newly discovered benefit.

Another study found that just one large dose of creatine (0.35g/kg) could partially reverse fatigue-related cognitive deterioration after periods of sleep deprivation. Another surprising and practical use case for creatine, particularly for hockey players dealing with late games and early practices.

Magnesium

Magnesium is an important mineral.  It is involved in more than 300 enzyme systems in the body. It’s also an electrolyte.

It’s probably in most of the electrolyte drinks mentioned above. And yet it still deserves its own section because it’s that crucial. 

It is estimated that one-in-five athletes are clinically deficient in magnesium, which can make you susceptible to muscle cramps, anxiety and stress among other things. When you sweat, you lose magnesium along with sodium and potassium.  And it must be replenished.

Many people report improved sleep when taking magnesium about an hour before bedtime.  For hockey players, this would certainly be a great addition to a supplement regimen.

Caffeine

Caffeine is another proven and common performance enhancing substance. In fact, it’s so effective that there’s actually a legal upper limit for NCAA sports. Caffeine was also banned in the Olympics for most of the 1980s and 1990s before being allowed again in 2004.

It’s very easy to overdo caffeine, which can lead to jitters and heart concerns – this would obviously be detrimental to a hockey player who needs smooth hands and a healthy heart.

Rather than caffeine pills, many hockey players opt for a cup of coffee about 30 minutes before a game, workout or practice.  If coffee gives you too much jitters, another fantastic alternative would be yerba mate tea from a company like Animate Yerba Mate.  Yerba mate is very common in South America and is consumed by many professional soccer players before games.

Supplements Can’t Replace A Healthy Diet

Supplements are just that – supplements.  They cannot replace proper hockey nutrition, off-ice hockey training and on-ice hockey training.  But used safely in conjunction with proper training, supplements can give you the edge you’re looking for.