is fitness my problem?

[hockeyblood 11]

Do a high altitude training if you can or run uphill till your legs give out. You can also try to mix it up with cross training with other sports to keep training fun and interesting.

[jds 20]

Yup, definately 1:30-2 minute shifts.

It's quite possible this is the issue.

I could sit here and answer with paragraphs but i won't so to put it short, i don't think i'm over training, however ive just started thinking about recovery.

I'd seriously like to find out how NHL players train with there schedule of games and on-ice training. I couldn't imagine off-ice training being as hardcore as i think as recovery would be an issue if they are playing 2-3 games a week.

They wouldn't be doing super intense workouts in-season but, rather, more of a maintenance phase to maintain conditioning. A good way to know if you are overtraining is if you start to get a bit of a sore throat. Also, if you can't get your heart rate up during intense training, you are likely overtrained. Any growth from training happens when you rest and recover. Training involves stressing the body and tearing down muscle tissue which is then re-built stronger with proper rest and nutrition. Glutamine can aid in recovery but adequate rest and nutrition is key. You may feel like you are wasting time when you are resting but that is when your body is getting stronger. As for nutrition, protein is great for muscle repair but your body also needs sufficient carbs to fuel itself. Recent studies have shown that tons of extra protein may not be necessary-it is not bad for you as too much protein doesn't cause problems- but if you are consuming too much you may be compromising your carb intake.

[Scopes 4]

From reading this, shift length and water consumption may be your problem. Keep the shifts short and drink lots of water. You can consistently give more with 40-90 second shifts throughout a game opposed to a 2-4 minute shift, and if everyone on the team is buying into that strategy you're still getting the same ice time.

[splitbtw 2]

Another thing to try would be sprints. The past week I have been running sprints in our apartment parking lot using the parking spots as markers to do liners/suicides. After a few, I added in some jump rope between sets to keep the heart rate up. I have already felt a huge difference in still having that full stride late in pickup today when everyone else was getting tired legs with only 3 a side on the bench.