The impact of two different passive recovery durations, two and three minutes, between sets of repeated sprint skating ability (RSSA) test on skating speed, speed decrement (Sdec), and heart rate (HR) response of ice hockey forwards (n = 12) and defensemen (n = 7) were determined. Six sets of 3 × 80 m sprint, with two-minute passive recovery between two consecutive sets, were performed in RSSA-2. A three-minute passive recovery period between two consecutive sets was allowed in RSSA-3. Skating speed, Sdec, and HR were measured in all tests. Subjects skated faster (p < 0.05) in most of the RSSA-3 sets than the corresponding set of RSSA-2. Defensemen were slower (p < 0.05) than forwards in most of the cases. The Sdec was higher in defensemen than in forwards, although the difference was significant occasionally. No difference in peak HR and minimum HR between forwards and defensemen was found. RSSA-3 is beneficial over RSSA-2 in both forwards and defensemen by increasing speed. Defensemen are slower and show early fatigability than forwards, and no difference in HR response was noted between forwards and defensemen. This study concludes that three-minute recovery is beneficial over two-minute recovery by increasing skating speed, although Sdec and HR response neither vary significantly between RSSA-2 and RSSA-3, nor between forwards and defensemen.

Department of Physical Education and Sport Faculty of Education University of West Bohemia 30100 Pilsen Czech Republic

Faculty of Medical Sciences Cave Hill Campus University of West Indies Bridgetown BB11000 Barbados

Faculty of Science and Technology University of Silesia in Katowice 41 500 Chorzów Poland

Institute of Sport Sciences Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education 40 065 Katowice Poland

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