Abstract / Summary
Abstract The aim of the study was to examine recent patterns in maximal relative power output during ramp cycle ergometer testing among Czech youth ice hockey players between 2019 and 2023, and to quantify the proportion of players meeting historical performance benchmarks, which have previously been discussed in relation to paediatric fitness and cardiometabolic risk, while acknowledging that these power-based criteria do not directly measure cardiorespiratory fitness or health outcomes. Methods We analysed 1,433 ramp cycle ergometer tests performed in male ice hockey players aged 9–18 years at two accredited sports medicine centres, some players were tested repeatedly across different years. All tests followed an identical electronically braked incremental ramp protocol, and performance was expressed as relative maximal power output (W/kg). Results were classified as “within” or “below” benchmark values based on historical W/kg standards from adolescent athletes tested in the late 1970s. Between‑year differences in W/kg and anthropometric parameters (height, body mass, BMI) were assessed within age groups using the Kruskal–Wallis test. Results Overall, 49.1% (703/1,433) of tests achieved W/kg values within the benchmark range across 2019–2023, with marked age‑related differences. Only 16–38% of 9–12‑year‑olds met the benchmarks, compared with 80–89% of 15–18‑year‑olds. The proportion within benchmark increased from 44.9% in 2019 to 52.6% in 2023, with a transient dip during the COVID‑affected years 2020–2022. Within age groups, mean W/kg remained broadly stable over time, except for a modest improvement in 13–14‑year‑olds; anthropometric measures showed only small secular shifts. Discussion Contemporary Czech youth ice hockey players show largely stable maximal relative power output across 2019–2023, with a clear age-related gradient in the proportion meeting historical W/kg benchmarks. Observed between-year differences were modest and do not provide strong evidence of meaningful secular changes. Because we did not collect VO₂peak or direct cardiometabolic outcomes and relied on historical power-based benchmarks established under different testing conditions, any inferences about paediatric health risk should be interpreted with caution.