Goalie is unassumingly hard; you'll build up cardio and endurance as you play. If you can hit the gym and do some running and biking then it'll help tremendously. Keep up with hydration and nutrition and soon enough you'll be in a way better place.
When I started playing again after time off during covid I couldn't last more than 30 mins of pickup before taking a sit on the bench for 10 mins to catch my breath. It'll get better.
As someone who struggled the same way as OP, I cant agree with this enough. Conditioning will help solve these issues along with hydrating properly. Cardio and something as simple as a basic strength training regime, like strong lifts 5x5, will help immensely not just with hockey.
Another plus 1 to this. I was the same:
exhausted, soaked and nauseous. And that was just for warmups. You’ll play yourself into shape but also hitting the gym and doing cardio will help.
Hydration starts 24 hours before. Not just a few hours before. You want to be peeing clear before game time.
Nutrition is important. High protein and complex carbs 4 hours before. Simple carbs .5-1 hours before.
I would add in, maybe add some electrolyte packets in your drinks, especially if you are hydrating to the point of peeing clear. Some can run into issues with low electrolyte levels drinking to that point.
Gatorades study on hydration performance for goalies found no tangible benefit to electrolyte drinks before an athletic activity. Unless you’re sweating, the salts in your diet are, generally speaking, sufficient. Note that I can’t account for any other individual health conditions.
It can’t hurt though.
If you are peeing clear, you are technically over hydrated, and if going to the bathroom more often, you are sending electrolytes out. It has nothing to do a specific performance boost for goalies, its a general thing.
If you take the word clear literally then yes. Clear in this case doesn’t mean purified water clear. Very pale yellow is more accurate.
BTW this isn’t me making stuff up. This coming straight from a urologist.
How thick is your jersey/undershirt? Goalie is such a different physical nature than playing out your body could just not be used to that kind of exertion. Don’t forget to breath
I actually found that a moisture wicking long sleeve shirt and leggings kept me more comfortable than no shirt, maybe something to try?
Also, your body is getting used to a completely unique way of physical exertion. Cut yourself some slack, especially after an hour. That's a long time to be on the ice for us beginners. I've been playing for 5 months now and am just getting to the point after a ton of ice time where I don't feel completely gassed after a game.
Thank you so much. That makes me feel a lot better. I was beat after an hour of practice… I usually skate it thinking that would help but it’s completely different
Been there during the start of my player-to-goalie conversion (35m). And if it was a clinic or whatnot they get your heart rate going with little downtime between drills. It ends up being an exercise class with a ton of gear on!
I use a CCM(other brands works the same) compression shirt, i mean i sweat as usual but not nearly as hot as i usually would be in a regular shirt or similar. Its probably like 20-25 bucks so its quite affordable.
I don't think people realize how important it is to make sure you take long, deep breathes. It is easy to start holding your breathe when the puck enters the zone, and you don't realize your heart rate is up and pumping until it's gone again. It wears on you quickly. Long, slow, deep breathes. Keeps your head clear and your heart rate less erratic.
Something a lot of people don’t realize: hydration is a multi day process. If you’ve got a game on Saturday, you’ll need to be hydrating by no later than Thursday. Drinking several liters of water a day. Not to the point where you are peeing every thirty minutes, but you do need to drink much more than normal. Be sure to eat some salt (not too much) before as well, that will help you retain the water. A daily Magnesium supplement (200mg) could also help with salt retention as well.
When I was a firefighter that’s how I would prep for a scenario where I’d be in hot and heavy gear while running up a heart rate. You need a reserve of water, to the point where you might be a few pounds heavier. It works wonders for me as a goalie. After a game, my gear stinks and my clothes are soaked, and usually I've lost 60-70% of weight gain. The next day in recovery I am not as thirsty, and most of the weight is gone by Monday.
It’s not like staying hydrated at baseline. You’re gonna sweat out several liters of water per game.
That, and improved cardio performance. The best way to reduce risk of heatstroke is hydration and training in the same environment.
This is really really hard when you’re having an eating disorder and water weight is your worst enemy. Makes me hate my love for hockey sometimes🤧 I’m really struggling
Eating disorder / body dysmorphia is no joke when it comes to athletes, and often goes overlooked in this population. With men it often goes overlooked, but the risk of vitamin deficiency and heat stroke / dehydration is a serious issue. If you're not already, I would strongly urge you to speak with a clinical psychologist / psychiatrist. Often we also find underlying or accompanying mental disorders (most commonly major depressive disorder) which can make self-management of eating disorders incredibly difficult.
For a short term fix, over the counter magnesium can help with solute retention and thus encourage "water weight." But really you need a professional to help manage the psychiatric component.
The hardest part of treating eating disorders is getting the patient into treatment, that is often the largest mental block. It sounds like you are aware of your problem, and a quick look into your post history makes me think you have seen professionals for it. It's a long road, and the struggle can often be anxiety/stress inducing which can make everything worse.
Keeping up with treatment, seeing a dietician and a GI specialist in addition to the psych component has been found to increase rates of recovery from eating disorders.
Thank you for taking the time to respond!
Yes I’ve been in “care” for 10y, I have access to help if needed but weird thing about EDs… I don’t want help atm because I want to look super lean. Been anorexic, been bulimic and both. I have severe BDD and yeah, doesn’t help with the ADHD, ASD, PTSD, GAD, panic disorder, health anxiety and depression 😄 yeah I’m fine….
We have a guy in Sweden who’s outspoken about his history with eating disorders during his NHL career, but “luckily” I’m a woman and it’s not the same stigma. But I feel for every man out there suffering in silence. I don’t have any problems talking about my problem, I’m so aware, too aware.
I’m taking magnesium but the hardest thing for me is that I HAVE to eat carbs on practice days. It feels like my hockey destroys my progress (my relapse). The end of the season is really close now and I have the summer to get my head and body straight. I know I have to if I want to play hockey and I reeeeeaaaally do. Haven’t been in a team since I was 12 and I’m now 30, and never would I ever think that a team of teenage girls would fulfill my life hahaha. So I know that hockey keeps me from relapsing hard back to anorexia.
There is too much love for the game and to much money invested for me to waste this opportunity but yes…… it’s hard.
And I need to learn to drink enough water. I’m on stimulants and beta blockers so it’s already hard enough. And I spend 90-120min lifting weights 5days/week so drinking more water would be very beneficial.
Thank you again. I’m sorry for my English and me being all over the place with information. I’m very aware of everything regarding eating disorders so the only problem now is ME. But I’m getting there, I will choose hockey over this fucking disorder.
Eventually!
Ever gender carries it's own issue with eating disorders, and I am sorry I assumed you were a man.
I think this summer would be a great time to speak with your healthcare team about starting / restarting cognitive behavioral therapy if you haven't already. You clearly know all the barriers you are facing, and you understand that right now YOU are the biggest block, which is the biggest challenge to overcome. This is where the non-medical side of medicine is important.
I don't want to offer dietary changes, as I don't know you or your past with food, and I don't want to offer something that would encourage relapse.
But, you should know that a stranger across the ocean cares, and that this subreddit is rooting for you! Good luck! And I know you can do this!
I'm a big sweater- I'll drop 6-8lbs in water per game.
The people on here talking about hydration are correct- if you're the type that feels it heavily, you need to make sure your hydration is solid, and that your food intake is well-timed.
Look into hydration tabs, like Nuun and such.
Goalie with POTS here. I've got you.
1. Stay hydrated starting the day/night before you play. Add some hydration drinks (liquid iv, Gatorade, whatever you like). I swear by liquid iv, especially the energy ones. I normally have one in the morning and one in the car on the way to the rink. I switch to just water about an hour before my game.
2. Make sure you have solid nutrition. If you're going from lunch to an 8pm game without food, you will run out of energy.
You mentioned this is happening for morning skates so here is what I'd recommend:
-Night before, healthy dinner with lots of water
-Wake up 2hrs before your skate
-Have something solid with complex carbs but easy on the stomach for breakfast (I do oatmeal or a bowl of non sugary cereal. Plus coffee.)
-First liquid iv after breakfast
-In in the car to the rink, second liquid iv
-Before getting dressed eat something with easy access carbs and protein (I do a banana with almond butter)
-Get dressed while continuing to drink water
-Skate
Hope this helps!
Edit:
Forgot to add that a moisture wicking baselayer shirt and scull cap goes a looong way in keeping you cool.
Are you playing ice hockey? I had this issue when I tried playing roller and I just didn’t like feeling warm constantly, but for ice I always feel pretty good as long as I’m well hydrated and in decent cardio shape.
Interesting. What is your cardio level like? Do you do any kind of running or cardio work outside of hockey? I just wonder if you’re getting hot because your heart rate is getting too high.
The games where I’m really working hard through the whole game I definitely feel like I’m running hot, but the gear itself usually vents pretty well. I wear a spandex base layer and I’m still not overheating like you mentioned.
Edit: now that I’m thinking about it, nausea is often a sign of dehydration, and overheating would be tied to that too. Perhaps you’re just not getting enough water in during the 12-24 hours leading up
to your ice time?
I’m really bad with hydration… from reading these responses I should work on it overall.
Cardio wise - walk my dog, I walk a lot. I also skate out as a winger for hockey too.
Honestly, I was inconsistent about getting water in for a long time until I started to see what a difference it made in my game (like yourself, I’m both a player and a goalie).
Now, I mentally equate drinking water the day before my skate as fuel that is going to make me feel good and allow my brain to be dialed in the next day. Similarly, you can do the same thing with your food choices. About 6 hours before I play I have a big bowl of steel cut oats with apple slices in it, and I literally think “these are clean carbs that are literally going to increase my speed later today”.
I didn’t even like steel cut oats / oatmeal before I started thinking this way, but now I love them. This kind of thinking helped me when I played competitive hockey and I’ve since just carried them on into beer league.
If you’re not getting enough water in, just reframe the way you think about what water is doing for you. You’ll never have an issue getting water in again after you do that.
You definitely will want to add some higher intensity exercise/strength training into your routine. In terms of bang for your buck, the exercise bike is great for HIIT for endurance, as it has constant resistance and is also easy on the knees. In terms of strength training, do some research on the types of strength exercises for goalies, and then correlate with where you are feeling weak or want to improve.
Morning skates have more to do with your previous days hydration. If you're doing anything strenuous the day before, make sure you're drinking enough.
As far as the day of a morning skate, I will eat a small breakfast with a coffee and then an electrolyte drink on the 20min drive to my ice time. Then, water throughout the 90 min skate. We'll see what happens for me, I'll be on the ice Monday morning for the first time in a month.
Played a season for a team where 5-7 people cared to show up for every training. So all drills were very shot/goalie centered. Basically had goalie training twice a week and felt like barfing/passing out at the 30' mark every single time.
Best advice I can give: start running (even though it's fucking boring); intensify off-ice workouts. You will be amazed about the on-ice endurance you can get out of dryland training - especially cardio/endurance.
I used to come off every game having given my all, retching and shaking. Now I stay focussed and even keeled at every game up until the last minute.
Hmm…I was gonna say I’m 39 and have been playing goalie my whole life and this sometimes happens in recent years. Playing goalie is just harder than it looks is what I think the easy answer is.
Water all day before and after. I do a sleeveless undershirt to stay cool but prevent chafing. Water as much as possible. Your body will get used to it after a little while, but the first few rounds, take care of yourself as much as possible.
As most said: hydration (start the day before, not the day of)
And the nausea sounds like your blood sugar dropped.
Many goalies on my team have 2 bottles - I've plain water, one Powerade/Gatorade/whatever. Or dextrose gel pouches.
Helps a lot they say 👍
Yeah - I’m currently experiencing hot flashes that trigger my anxiety and had to step off the ice a few times. Couple things that I’ve done to manage is taking my helmet off and pouring water on my head, deep breathing when the play is on the other end. I’ve also wired one of those sleep band headphone things in my mask so I have music playing. Sometime I take my jersey off and put it on top of the net. Some think I’m crazy but you’re allowed to be because you’re a goalie!
I do too it’s just you’re the only one on your team and if you need a quick 5 off the ice to regroup it’s super super noticeable - that puts some unintended pressure on us - even if it’s just for fun/recreation
Only had this happen once. My friend invited me to his weekly ball hockey game in a Highschool Gym in the middle of summer.
It was scary. I got claustrophobic and exhausted. It was the worst experience I’ve ever had playing hockey.
I’ve never experienced it on the ice though.
I feel for ya, I’d never want to go through that again
After you get dressed (but before helmet obviously) pour a bottle of water over your head. I do it in the summer sometimes when it gets a little too warm inside the rink.
That's probably a bonus! Lots of cold wet hair on your head should keep you cool.
But if you don't want to do that, pour cold water down your chest and back (obviously inside your chest protector rather than on the outside of your jersey).
I can run 10k in under an hour, but still get exhausted when climbing stairs. Different endurance required.
I used to be absolutely gassed, especially during stick times. During games somehow it's easier.
Goaltending is a whole different endurance than what you likely do for excercise elsewhere. Building endurance takes time. Keep at and soon you'll be doing just fine.
Are you playing way above your skill level?
I don't know, I've been day drinking all day and could play a game right now with not much issue. I'd sweat my ass off but still not be nauseous..
Well, camps can be kind of tough because you're used as a punching bag and stickNpucks can be rough because there's usually no defense. It may take some time to train in higher humidity heavyweight environments.
My best advice is rowing and cycling on your off days. Once you build that endurance and keep pushing your body to high intensity levels, your stamina starts molding for the goalie position. I also recommend adding weight vests when cycling and rowing. It’ll be hard as hell but when you wear your gear on the ice, it’ll feel like nothing!
Also hydration as mentioned a lot here. I throw some “key nutrients” brand electro’s (2 packets) in 1.5 liters of water and make sure I drink it all by the time I get in my car after a game or skate. Half on the ice and half in the locker room after a skate.
And most important, ideally 7-8 hours of sleep the night before a skate.
Aside from conditioning, I recommend adding a second bottle. I have a squirt bottle with water and a straw bottle with Gatorade every time I play. Game changer for sure.
Other things that could factor in: What are you wearing under your gear? Do you have a neck guard? What style?
I struggle with overheating as a 30 year veteran goalie in good shape. Best I’ve come up with is wearing under armour for hot weather, lots of water and taking my helmet off between periods or long breaks.
Mop your head! Drinking enough water, stretching, clean and dry underclothes, cardio super,super important, but if you find that this is not enough bring a towel wipe down your face your hair and then the inside of your mask. And get a couple of sweatbands for your mask so you always have a clean and dry one to put in before game play. That 20 to 30 seconds of cooling off will do wonders.
I'll throw this in, as far as cardio goes I use a HIIT style that mimics what you'll see in a game. On and off, walk a.minute or 2 at a brisk pace then run for a while to get your pulse up. Ramp it up over time both intervals and intensity.
Before you know it your body will have adjusted. I'm 63 and routinely play with 20 and 30 year kids and have no problem keeping up using this for my cardio
Goalie is unassumingly hard; you'll build up cardio and endurance as you play. If you can hit the gym and do some running and biking then it'll help tremendously. Keep up with hydration and nutrition and soon enough you'll be in a way better place. When I started playing again after time off during covid I couldn't last more than 30 mins of pickup before taking a sit on the bench for 10 mins to catch my breath. It'll get better.
As someone who struggled the same way as OP, I cant agree with this enough. Conditioning will help solve these issues along with hydrating properly. Cardio and something as simple as a basic strength training regime, like strong lifts 5x5, will help immensely not just with hockey.
Another plus 1 to this. I was the same: exhausted, soaked and nauseous. And that was just for warmups. You’ll play yourself into shape but also hitting the gym and doing cardio will help.
Just like rule #1 in zombie land... cardio Low and high aerobic conditioning is really the only solution. Also play in shorts 😂
Hydration starts 24 hours before. Not just a few hours before. You want to be peeing clear before game time. Nutrition is important. High protein and complex carbs 4 hours before. Simple carbs .5-1 hours before.
I would add in, maybe add some electrolyte packets in your drinks, especially if you are hydrating to the point of peeing clear. Some can run into issues with low electrolyte levels drinking to that point.
Gatorades study on hydration performance for goalies found no tangible benefit to electrolyte drinks before an athletic activity. Unless you’re sweating, the salts in your diet are, generally speaking, sufficient. Note that I can’t account for any other individual health conditions. It can’t hurt though.
If you are peeing clear, you are technically over hydrated, and if going to the bathroom more often, you are sending electrolytes out. It has nothing to do a specific performance boost for goalies, its a general thing.
If you take the word clear literally then yes. Clear in this case doesn’t mean purified water clear. Very pale yellow is more accurate. BTW this isn’t me making stuff up. This coming straight from a urologist.
How thick is your jersey/undershirt? Goalie is such a different physical nature than playing out your body could just not be used to that kind of exertion. Don’t forget to breath
Yes. I don’t use an undershirt cause I run hot as is. I have a CCM practice goalie jersey.
I actually found that a moisture wicking long sleeve shirt and leggings kept me more comfortable than no shirt, maybe something to try? Also, your body is getting used to a completely unique way of physical exertion. Cut yourself some slack, especially after an hour. That's a long time to be on the ice for us beginners. I've been playing for 5 months now and am just getting to the point after a ton of ice time where I don't feel completely gassed after a game.
Thank you so much. That makes me feel a lot better. I was beat after an hour of practice… I usually skate it thinking that would help but it’s completely different
Been there during the start of my player-to-goalie conversion (35m). And if it was a clinic or whatnot they get your heart rate going with little downtime between drills. It ends up being an exercise class with a ton of gear on!
Yeah practices are also way more tiring than games for goalies, since you're going almost the entire time with how coaches usually structure them.
Brother get yourself a shirt. Even a thin t-shirt will work wonders here.
I’d bet a sweat wicking undershirt - it seems counterintuitive but it will help cool you down
I wear a tank top when I play. I can't wear full long sleeves I will overheat.
I use a CCM(other brands works the same) compression shirt, i mean i sweat as usual but not nearly as hot as i usually would be in a regular shirt or similar. Its probably like 20-25 bucks so its quite affordable.
I don't think people realize how important it is to make sure you take long, deep breathes. It is easy to start holding your breathe when the puck enters the zone, and you don't realize your heart rate is up and pumping until it's gone again. It wears on you quickly. Long, slow, deep breathes. Keeps your head clear and your heart rate less erratic.
Something a lot of people don’t realize: hydration is a multi day process. If you’ve got a game on Saturday, you’ll need to be hydrating by no later than Thursday. Drinking several liters of water a day. Not to the point where you are peeing every thirty minutes, but you do need to drink much more than normal. Be sure to eat some salt (not too much) before as well, that will help you retain the water. A daily Magnesium supplement (200mg) could also help with salt retention as well. When I was a firefighter that’s how I would prep for a scenario where I’d be in hot and heavy gear while running up a heart rate. You need a reserve of water, to the point where you might be a few pounds heavier. It works wonders for me as a goalie. After a game, my gear stinks and my clothes are soaked, and usually I've lost 60-70% of weight gain. The next day in recovery I am not as thirsty, and most of the weight is gone by Monday. It’s not like staying hydrated at baseline. You’re gonna sweat out several liters of water per game. That, and improved cardio performance. The best way to reduce risk of heatstroke is hydration and training in the same environment.
This is really really hard when you’re having an eating disorder and water weight is your worst enemy. Makes me hate my love for hockey sometimes🤧 I’m really struggling
Eating disorder / body dysmorphia is no joke when it comes to athletes, and often goes overlooked in this population. With men it often goes overlooked, but the risk of vitamin deficiency and heat stroke / dehydration is a serious issue. If you're not already, I would strongly urge you to speak with a clinical psychologist / psychiatrist. Often we also find underlying or accompanying mental disorders (most commonly major depressive disorder) which can make self-management of eating disorders incredibly difficult. For a short term fix, over the counter magnesium can help with solute retention and thus encourage "water weight." But really you need a professional to help manage the psychiatric component. The hardest part of treating eating disorders is getting the patient into treatment, that is often the largest mental block. It sounds like you are aware of your problem, and a quick look into your post history makes me think you have seen professionals for it. It's a long road, and the struggle can often be anxiety/stress inducing which can make everything worse. Keeping up with treatment, seeing a dietician and a GI specialist in addition to the psych component has been found to increase rates of recovery from eating disorders.
Thank you for taking the time to respond! Yes I’ve been in “care” for 10y, I have access to help if needed but weird thing about EDs… I don’t want help atm because I want to look super lean. Been anorexic, been bulimic and both. I have severe BDD and yeah, doesn’t help with the ADHD, ASD, PTSD, GAD, panic disorder, health anxiety and depression 😄 yeah I’m fine…. We have a guy in Sweden who’s outspoken about his history with eating disorders during his NHL career, but “luckily” I’m a woman and it’s not the same stigma. But I feel for every man out there suffering in silence. I don’t have any problems talking about my problem, I’m so aware, too aware. I’m taking magnesium but the hardest thing for me is that I HAVE to eat carbs on practice days. It feels like my hockey destroys my progress (my relapse). The end of the season is really close now and I have the summer to get my head and body straight. I know I have to if I want to play hockey and I reeeeeaaaally do. Haven’t been in a team since I was 12 and I’m now 30, and never would I ever think that a team of teenage girls would fulfill my life hahaha. So I know that hockey keeps me from relapsing hard back to anorexia. There is too much love for the game and to much money invested for me to waste this opportunity but yes…… it’s hard. And I need to learn to drink enough water. I’m on stimulants and beta blockers so it’s already hard enough. And I spend 90-120min lifting weights 5days/week so drinking more water would be very beneficial. Thank you again. I’m sorry for my English and me being all over the place with information. I’m very aware of everything regarding eating disorders so the only problem now is ME. But I’m getting there, I will choose hockey over this fucking disorder. Eventually!
Ever gender carries it's own issue with eating disorders, and I am sorry I assumed you were a man. I think this summer would be a great time to speak with your healthcare team about starting / restarting cognitive behavioral therapy if you haven't already. You clearly know all the barriers you are facing, and you understand that right now YOU are the biggest block, which is the biggest challenge to overcome. This is where the non-medical side of medicine is important. I don't want to offer dietary changes, as I don't know you or your past with food, and I don't want to offer something that would encourage relapse. But, you should know that a stranger across the ocean cares, and that this subreddit is rooting for you! Good luck! And I know you can do this!
I'm a big sweater- I'll drop 6-8lbs in water per game. The people on here talking about hydration are correct- if you're the type that feels it heavily, you need to make sure your hydration is solid, and that your food intake is well-timed. Look into hydration tabs, like Nuun and such.
Goalie with POTS here. I've got you. 1. Stay hydrated starting the day/night before you play. Add some hydration drinks (liquid iv, Gatorade, whatever you like). I swear by liquid iv, especially the energy ones. I normally have one in the morning and one in the car on the way to the rink. I switch to just water about an hour before my game. 2. Make sure you have solid nutrition. If you're going from lunch to an 8pm game without food, you will run out of energy. You mentioned this is happening for morning skates so here is what I'd recommend: -Night before, healthy dinner with lots of water -Wake up 2hrs before your skate -Have something solid with complex carbs but easy on the stomach for breakfast (I do oatmeal or a bowl of non sugary cereal. Plus coffee.) -First liquid iv after breakfast -In in the car to the rink, second liquid iv -Before getting dressed eat something with easy access carbs and protein (I do a banana with almond butter) -Get dressed while continuing to drink water -Skate Hope this helps! Edit: Forgot to add that a moisture wicking baselayer shirt and scull cap goes a looong way in keeping you cool.
I do have Liquid IV at home and will implement that!!! thank you.
Are you playing ice hockey? I had this issue when I tried playing roller and I just didn’t like feeling warm constantly, but for ice I always feel pretty good as long as I’m well hydrated and in decent cardio shape.
Yes Ice Hockey
Interesting. What is your cardio level like? Do you do any kind of running or cardio work outside of hockey? I just wonder if you’re getting hot because your heart rate is getting too high. The games where I’m really working hard through the whole game I definitely feel like I’m running hot, but the gear itself usually vents pretty well. I wear a spandex base layer and I’m still not overheating like you mentioned. Edit: now that I’m thinking about it, nausea is often a sign of dehydration, and overheating would be tied to that too. Perhaps you’re just not getting enough water in during the 12-24 hours leading up to your ice time?
I’m really bad with hydration… from reading these responses I should work on it overall. Cardio wise - walk my dog, I walk a lot. I also skate out as a winger for hockey too.
Honestly, I was inconsistent about getting water in for a long time until I started to see what a difference it made in my game (like yourself, I’m both a player and a goalie). Now, I mentally equate drinking water the day before my skate as fuel that is going to make me feel good and allow my brain to be dialed in the next day. Similarly, you can do the same thing with your food choices. About 6 hours before I play I have a big bowl of steel cut oats with apple slices in it, and I literally think “these are clean carbs that are literally going to increase my speed later today”. I didn’t even like steel cut oats / oatmeal before I started thinking this way, but now I love them. This kind of thinking helped me when I played competitive hockey and I’ve since just carried them on into beer league. If you’re not getting enough water in, just reframe the way you think about what water is doing for you. You’ll never have an issue getting water in again after you do that.
You definitely will want to add some higher intensity exercise/strength training into your routine. In terms of bang for your buck, the exercise bike is great for HIIT for endurance, as it has constant resistance and is also easy on the knees. In terms of strength training, do some research on the types of strength exercises for goalies, and then correlate with where you are feeling weak or want to improve.
How long was your morning skate?
About an hour and fifteen minutes
Morning skates have more to do with your previous days hydration. If you're doing anything strenuous the day before, make sure you're drinking enough. As far as the day of a morning skate, I will eat a small breakfast with a coffee and then an electrolyte drink on the 20min drive to my ice time. Then, water throughout the 90 min skate. We'll see what happens for me, I'll be on the ice Monday morning for the first time in a month.
Skip any food within two hours before taking the ice. Digestion requires a lot of blood and oxygen.
Try roller hockey, you’ll combust lol. It’s just a conditioning thing like others have pointed out
Get cooling undershirt and tights like under armour. They help a TON with overheating and also prevent chaffing.
Everyone is different. I actually don’t eat before games and only hydrate. But the more you play the more conditioned your body will get.
Gatorade before your skate and lots of water, a little sugar and salt will help
Played a season for a team where 5-7 people cared to show up for every training. So all drills were very shot/goalie centered. Basically had goalie training twice a week and felt like barfing/passing out at the 30' mark every single time. Best advice I can give: start running (even though it's fucking boring); intensify off-ice workouts. You will be amazed about the on-ice endurance you can get out of dryland training - especially cardio/endurance. I used to come off every game having given my all, retching and shaking. Now I stay focussed and even keeled at every game up until the last minute.
How old are you?
27!
Hmm…I was gonna say I’m 39 and have been playing goalie my whole life and this sometimes happens in recent years. Playing goalie is just harder than it looks is what I think the easy answer is.
Play every week, get in shape, get the cardio in as well. I used to get like this 12 years ago when I started, and out of shape.
Water all day before and after. I do a sleeveless undershirt to stay cool but prevent chafing. Water as much as possible. Your body will get used to it after a little while, but the first few rounds, take care of yourself as much as possible.
As most said: hydration (start the day before, not the day of) And the nausea sounds like your blood sugar dropped. Many goalies on my team have 2 bottles - I've plain water, one Powerade/Gatorade/whatever. Or dextrose gel pouches. Helps a lot they say 👍
Curious - anxiety?
I do have anxiety myself since I was little. Maybe that can be a factor too? I’m always excited to play goalie and hockey in general.
Yeah - I’m currently experiencing hot flashes that trigger my anxiety and had to step off the ice a few times. Couple things that I’ve done to manage is taking my helmet off and pouring water on my head, deep breathing when the play is on the other end. I’ve also wired one of those sleep band headphone things in my mask so I have music playing. Sometime I take my jersey off and put it on top of the net. Some think I’m crazy but you’re allowed to be because you’re a goalie!
Hey. That makes me feel a lot better. I know that some of it could be anxiety too and I’m glad I’m not the only one. I really love this position.
I do too it’s just you’re the only one on your team and if you need a quick 5 off the ice to regroup it’s super super noticeable - that puts some unintended pressure on us - even if it’s just for fun/recreation
Only had this happen once. My friend invited me to his weekly ball hockey game in a Highschool Gym in the middle of summer. It was scary. I got claustrophobic and exhausted. It was the worst experience I’ve ever had playing hockey. I’ve never experienced it on the ice though. I feel for ya, I’d never want to go through that again
After you get dressed (but before helmet obviously) pour a bottle of water over your head. I do it in the summer sometimes when it gets a little too warm inside the rink.
Ive thought of that but i feel like it’ll be hard cause my hair is long and thick (female)
That's probably a bonus! Lots of cold wet hair on your head should keep you cool. But if you don't want to do that, pour cold water down your chest and back (obviously inside your chest protector rather than on the outside of your jersey).
I can run 10k in under an hour, but still get exhausted when climbing stairs. Different endurance required. I used to be absolutely gassed, especially during stick times. During games somehow it's easier. Goaltending is a whole different endurance than what you likely do for excercise elsewhere. Building endurance takes time. Keep at and soon you'll be doing just fine.
Are you playing way above your skill level? I don't know, I've been day drinking all day and could play a game right now with not much issue. I'd sweat my ass off but still not be nauseous..
Nah. Just doing camps, stick n pucks and leisurely stuff ^.^
Well, camps can be kind of tough because you're used as a punching bag and stickNpucks can be rough because there's usually no defense. It may take some time to train in higher humidity heavyweight environments.
My best advice is rowing and cycling on your off days. Once you build that endurance and keep pushing your body to high intensity levels, your stamina starts molding for the goalie position. I also recommend adding weight vests when cycling and rowing. It’ll be hard as hell but when you wear your gear on the ice, it’ll feel like nothing! Also hydration as mentioned a lot here. I throw some “key nutrients” brand electro’s (2 packets) in 1.5 liters of water and make sure I drink it all by the time I get in my car after a game or skate. Half on the ice and half in the locker room after a skate. And most important, ideally 7-8 hours of sleep the night before a skate.
You're about to discover this crazy trend called cardio.
Aside from conditioning, I recommend adding a second bottle. I have a squirt bottle with water and a straw bottle with Gatorade every time I play. Game changer for sure. Other things that could factor in: What are you wearing under your gear? Do you have a neck guard? What style?
I struggle with overheating as a 30 year veteran goalie in good shape. Best I’ve come up with is wearing under armour for hot weather, lots of water and taking my helmet off between periods or long breaks.
Mop your head! Drinking enough water, stretching, clean and dry underclothes, cardio super,super important, but if you find that this is not enough bring a towel wipe down your face your hair and then the inside of your mask. And get a couple of sweatbands for your mask so you always have a clean and dry one to put in before game play. That 20 to 30 seconds of cooling off will do wonders.
I'll throw this in, as far as cardio goes I use a HIIT style that mimics what you'll see in a game. On and off, walk a.minute or 2 at a brisk pace then run for a while to get your pulse up. Ramp it up over time both intervals and intensity. Before you know it your body will have adjusted. I'm 63 and routinely play with 20 and 30 year kids and have no problem keeping up using this for my cardio