This study measures hand grip strength in male and female ice hockey players across different Swedish leagues to create reference (normative) values for adult players.

Hand grip strength is a simple test of how strongly a person can squeeze with their hand. Although it seems basic, it reflects overall upper-body strength and is widely used in both sports science and healthcare.

In this project, players from different levels of ice hockey (including professional men's and women's leagues, junior players, and recreational players if available) will have their grip strength measured using a standardized hand dynamometer. Measurements will be taken in a consistent way across all participating clubs.

The main goal is to build a reference database showing what "normal" grip strength looks like in ice hockey players depending on sex, league level, and playing position. This can help coaches, medical staff, and researchers better understand strength profiles in hockey athletes, support training and rehabilitation decisions, and provide benchmarks for future studies.

No treatment or intervention is given as part of the study.

This is a cross-sectional, descriptive, multi-league study designed to establish normative values for maximal isometric hand grip strength in adult Swedish ice hockey players.

Hand grip strength will be used as a standardized, low-cost proxy measure of upper-body muscular strength and general functional capacity. Although grip strength is widely used in clinical and sports science settings and has demonstrated good reliability when measured using standardized protocols, there is currently a lack of comprehensive normative data for adult ice hockey players. Existing literature is largely limited to youth cohorts or general athletic "combine"-type populations, with insufficient stratification for adult competitive ice hockey across sexes, league levels, and playing positions.

This study will include male and female players from multiple competitive levels in Swedish ice hockey, including professional leagues (SHL and SDHL), second-tier leagues (HockeyAllsvenskan and Women's Allsvenskan where feasible), junior elite levels (U18/U20), and potentially recreational adult players. Participants will be recruited through participating clubs during the pre-season or early competitive season period.

Grip strength will be measured using a standardized hand dynamometer according to a unified protocol aligned with established clinical measurement guidelines (including standardized positioning, device calibration, and repeated trials per hand). Both dominant and non-dominant hand grip strength will be recorded, and mean values will be used for analysis. To reduce inter-tester variability, participating sites will be instructed to follow a harmonized measurement protocol.

In addition to grip strength, basic demographic and anthropometric data will be collected, including age, sex, playing position (forward/defense), playing experience, height, and body mass. Where available, supplementary body composition data from club testing routines may also be included to allow exploratory analyses of strength relative to body size.

The primary purpose of the study is descriptive: to generate normative reference values (including percentiles) for grip strength in adult ice hockey players, stratified by sex, league level, and playing position. Secondary analyses will explore associations between grip strength and anthropometric and demographic variables.

This study does not include any intervention or experimental treatment. All measurements are non-invasive and performed during routine testing environments within clubs. The results are intended to support strength and conditioning practice, clinical assessment in sports medicine, and future research on performance, injury risk, and rehabilitation in ice hockey.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adult male or female ice hockey players.
• Registered and actively participating in a Swedish ice hockey club during the current season.
• Participation in one of the included competitive levels: professional, semi-professional, junior elite, or recreational leagues in Sweden.
• Able to perform maximal hand grip strength testing. Provides written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Current acute injury of the upper extremity (hand, wrist, forearm, or elbow) that prevents safe or valid grip strength testing.
• Any medical condition that contraindicates maximal effort testing, as determined by team medical staff or study personnel.
• Refusal or inability to provide informed consent.

Adult male and female ice hockey players recruited from Swedish ice hockey clubs across multiple competitive levels, including professional (SHL and SDHL), second-tier (HockeyAllsvenskan and Women's Allsvenskan where available), junior elite (U18/U20), and selected recreational teams. Participants are drawn from active club rosters during the pre-season or early competitive season period. Recruitment is conducted in collaboration with participating clubs and their medical or strength and conditioning staff. The population represents a broad sample of Swedish ice hockey players across sex, age, and competitive level.

Any data shared with colleagues or collaborating researchers will be fully anonymized or pseudonymized to protect participant privacy in accordance with GDPR regulations. Data transfers will occur under strict confidentiality agreements, and all parties will adhere to applicable data protection laws to ensure the security and privacy of personal information. We will act in accordance with the ethical approval granted by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority (EPM) and comply with all relevant local policies regarding data protection.

From the publication of the protocol and for 10 years thereafter.

Access to individual participant data is typically restricted to authorized researchers involved in the study or approved collaborators under strict confidentiality and data protection agreements.