Focus on the Groins

• There may be muscle imbalances between the hip abductors and hip adductors. The hip abductors will be strong and tight because of the propulsion phase of skating produces a strong contraction of these muscles, which would leave these muscles tight, requiring more stretching.

  Conversely, the hip adductors (groins) may be weaker and more susceptible to injury because this muscle group is constantly being stretched, with high intensity eccentric (lengthening) muscle contractions. The hip adductors will probably be more flexible because of the continual lengthening of the "groins" during the propulsion phase of skating.

  Because of this, it may be misguided for hockey players to spend so much time stretching the groins. Instead, stretching the hip adductors (outside of the hip) may produce more injury prevention performance enhancement potential.
  
   

• It is observed that hockey players have an obsession with stretching their "groins." However, this practice may be detrimental to performance. Hockey players typically step onto the ice, skate around the rink twice then immediately stretch their groins with the "frog stretch," arch their back and maybe stretch their hamstrings, then start taking shots on the goalie. The muscles in the hips that really need stretching are rarely stretched, and the muscles that probably do not need to stretched may actually be overstretched.

  The concept in occupational physiology and ergonomics is that a chronically lengthened muscle does not need stretching rather, the position it is in should be reversed or strengthened. In regard to high performance hockey, a hockey player may be better served to spend less time increasing the flexibility of the "groins" and more time strengthening said muscle group, and stretching the hip abductors.