Seeking advice for personal use

[Amazinmets87]

I play recreational hockey and am seeking advice on supplements to maximize endurance. I am willing to use unapproved drugs, so long as the side effects aren't extreme (I understand that's slightly subjective.) Recently I've been attempting multi-day 3-4 hour training sessions on ice. However after 2 days I'm completely knackered and can scarcely summon the energy to rise from my bed, much less engage in an intense training session. I hold rudimentary knowledge of doping due to years of following European road cycling, but I'm no Ferrari.

My checklist:

Not cost-prohibitive
Reasonably accessible
Not prosecutable

 

[Parker]

Train less. You're playing a sport recreationally, try to enjoy it rather than pretending to be a pro.

 

[Tonton]

Train less. You're playing a sport recreationally, try to enjoy it rather than pretending to be a pro.

This. You don't need to dope, just train smarter. In this case train less. Smarter. I don't know anything about hockey, so I won't recommend how much volume, what kind of interval training and so forth, but there must be books out there.

 

[red_flanders]

...

Recently I've been attempting multi-day 3-4 hour training sessions on ice. However after 2 days I'm completely knackered and can scarcely summon the energy to rise from my bed, much less engage in an intense training session.

...

How long and how often have you been doing these sessions? I would think after a few weeks anyone in normal health and decent fitness would be up to a level where they could compete.

If you've been doing it for a while I'd actually consider checking in with a doctor.

 

[Random Direction]

How do you manage to get 3-4 hours of ice time in a day when only a recreational hockey player? Unless you've rented out the arena from 2 a.m. to 6 am., or have your own backyard rink somewhere in the arctic, something is amiss.

Start with hydration, electrolytes and proper feeding.

 

[Amazinmets87]

...

Recently I've been attempting multi-day 3-4 hour training sessions on ice. However after 2 days I'm completely knackered and can scarcely summon the energy to rise from my bed, much less engage in an intense training session.

...

How long and how often have you been doing these sessions? I would think after a few weeks anyone in normal health and decent fitness would be up to a level where they could compete.

If you've been doing it for a while I'd actually consider checking in with a doctor.

Generally back-to-back days. Hockey is a repetitive power sport which leads to more stress on the joints than cycling.

 

[red_flanders]

...

Recently I've been attempting multi-day 3-4 hour training sessions on ice. However after 2 days I'm completely knackered and can scarcely summon the energy to rise from my bed, much less engage in an intense training session.

...

How long and how often have you been doing these sessions? I would think after a few weeks anyone in normal health and decent fitness would be up to a level where they could compete.

If you've been doing it for a while I'd actually consider checking in with a doctor.

Generally back-to-back days. Hockey is a repetitive power sport which leads to more stress on the joints than cycling.

I get it, I have a long history playing football and many other sports. I would think after 5 back-to-backs, you're going to be in good shape. If not, I'd wonder about overall health.

 

[Koronin]

I'm with the others about training smarter.

 

[Nighttrain99]

Re:

I'm with the others about training smarter.

Ditto. And from personal experience with “recreational”sports after college I recommend paying close attention to proper rest and sleep. Recovery is everything. Plus there is tons of worthy advice on nutrition that can help better than supplements. Good luck and keep skating!

 

[the delgados]

How do you manage to get 3-4 hours of ice time in a day when only a recreational hockey player? Unless you've rented out the arena from 2 a.m. to 6 am., or have your own backyard rink somewhere in the arctic, something is amiss.

Start with hydration, electrolytes and proper feeding.

That is a great question.
No one I have ever known has had 3-4 hours of ice time per day, and I used to play at the provincial junior level.
In addition to the advice you provided, I strongly suggest riding a bike.
The benefits accrued over the course of one summer were amazing.
Seriously, I went from being a middling to slow player to one of the fastest on the team.
Get a bike and ride on an almost daily basis. I guarantee you will feel the benefits on the ice.

 

[Vince]

I can't believe that none of the responders did not realise that the OP was actually just attacking European pro cycling. The crucial sentence is :-

" I hold rudimentary knowledge of doping due to years of following European road cycling, but I'm no Ferrari", the rest of his post is just made up crap.
.

 

[Wiggo's Package]

Move to Britain and claim to be asthmatic - job done!

 

[ClassicomanoLuigi]

I don't get it. Why would someone do this for recreational hockey - seems like something has gone wrong in one's sense of priorities if it comes to that - like, what is there to be gained - don't understand...

You can probably infer from the professionals what their motives are
Categoryoping cases in ice hockey

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Categoryoping_cases_in_ice_hockey

Seems NHL-level professional hockey players on average are not as aerobically intense (56 ml/min/kg average VO2max)
https://www.topendsports.com/testing/results/vo2-max.htm

... as top athletes in sports like cross-country skiing, cycling, running, rowing

 

[JayKosta]

Your endurance difficulties sound similar to 'over reaching'. Attempting back to back hard training days may not allow adequate recovery time. Improvement comes during the REST & RECOVERY after training, NOT during the training session itself.
"you can't get out of a hole by digging harder"

If you experience chronic muscle soreness, then I'd suggest considering a protein supplement immediately after each training session. For convenience (and low cost), I use portion of whey protein powder and dry gatorade powder in a 'shaker bottle'. Add water and drink immediately after exercise session.

If there is an exercise machine that would training the proper muscles, that's an alternative to ice time. E.g rowing machine, eliptical, etc. Doing intervals on the machine can improve endurance, I do 20 minutes of 1 minutes easy and 1 minutes hard (not max).

Jay

 

[Angliru]

...

Recently I've been attempting multi-day 3-4 hour training sessions on ice. However after 2 days I'm completely knackered and can scarcely summon the energy to rise from my bed, much less engage in an intense training session.

...

How long and how often have you been doing these sessions? I would think after a few weeks anyone in normal health and decent fitness would be up to a level where they could compete.

If you've been doing it for a while I'd actually consider checking in with a doctor.

Generally back-to-back days. Hockey is a repetitive power sport which leads to more stress on the joints than cycling.

If you're not allowing yourself the proper amount of time to recover from these efforts it is natural that eventually you will fatigue (and burn out). Also without proper recovery you open yourself up to the increased likelihood of injury and illness.

As far as the doping is concerned my only advice is that you look at things long term. For this short period of athletic competitiveness that you're seeking by using drugs combined with what sounds like excessive training without proper recovery, have you considered the long term effects on your overall health that could result? When we're young (I'm going to assume that you are, relatively) the feeling of invincibility is there but do you want to put yourself in the position in your middle age years where you regret decisions made in your youth?

 

[King Boonen]

Sorry, this is getting locked. It's in the clinic and appears to be someone asking for advice on how to dope, at least, that's how it's being interpreted. If you want training advice, please post in the relevant forum.