A Novel Approach to Assessing Ice Skating Sprint Performance Using Wearable Sensors

This study implemented established signal processing techniques to introduce novel ice skating performance metrics using Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) in forward ice sprint tests. We hypothesized that the proposed metrics would differentiate skaters of different caliber and skating type and provide additional biomechanical information beyond traditional metrics.

Nineteen ice skaters, including high- and low-caliber hockey and figure skaters, performed maximal speed sprints, while six IMUs recorded their ice skating. Primary performance metrics included stride length, velocity, and time. Secondary metrics were calculated to assess skating complexity (multiscale entropy), inter-limb coordination (continuous relative phase), and segment kinematics (joint orientations). Additionally, relationships between the proposed on-ice metrics and off-ice countermovement jump (CMJ) height were studied.

Significant differences were observed between high- and low-caliber skaters in stride velocity and length (P = 0.02), and between figure and hockey skaters in stride velocity (P = 0.01). Figure skaters exhibited less complex hip angles (0.01 ≤ P ≤ 0.05) and greater coordination (0.01 ≤ P ≤ 0.05) compared to hockey skaters. Correlation analyses showed that only a few IMU-derived metrics were moderately related to CMJ height, while most exhibited weak or negligible associations.

The IMU-derived metrics could differentiate between skaters of varying calibers and types, offering a quantitative characterization and extended view of skating biomechanics. The proposed metrics have the potential to extend conventional performance assessment and provide a framework for developing off-ice tests that more accurately inform the development of off-ice tests related to on-ice performance.