Preparation and medical care of the Kenya national hockey team at the fifth Africa Cup of Nations Championships.

A team of 25 top Kenyan male hockey players preparing for the fifth Africa Cup of Nations Championships was tested before and after seven weeks of training. At the end of the training, 16 of them were selected into the National team. The illnesses and injuries of the team members were documented using the Wekesa Protocol Sheet. The Asembo Hockey Fitness test was used to evaluate fitness. There was a significant decrease in the heart rate after training (p < 0.01). The sum of the recovery pulse decreased from 550.92 +/- 46.90 to 498.88 +/- 44.06 (p < 0.001). A significant (p < 0.01) improvement in the time taken to perform the test (before: 814.08 +/- 126.08 sec; after: 715.0 +/- 92.78 sec) was established. During training and the championship matches a total of seven illnesses occurred. There were no serious injuries, the commonest being contusions (70%), and lacerations (15%). The lower part of the body below the hips was more affected by injuries (60%) than the upper. The results of the fitness test confirm the commonly held view in sports medicine regarding morphological and functional adaptations due to training. The injuries recorded appear to be characteristic of hockey.