Antoines Story
Antoine Lehoux, from Thetford Mines, Quebec, Canada, is a Para ice hockey forward who began playing in 2013 in Quebec City. He has been a member of the Canadian national Para ice hockey team, notably competing in the 2019 and 2021 world championships and participating in the Soldier On team during the 2018 NHL Sled Series. Lehoux, a former reservist in the Canadian Armed Forces, was part of the infantry before a life-altering accident in 2012. Despite being one of the final cuts from the Canadian team that won silver at the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games, he has continued to compete at high levels, showcasing his commitment to the sport for over a decade.
Amputation Details
In November 2012, Lehoux was involved in a bus accident while traveling with his regiment for a Remembrance Day ceremony. The vehicle skidded on a wet road, ejecting him through a window, resulting in his right leg being crushed. Consequently, he underwent an above-the-knee amputation of his right leg, a procedure that removes the limb above the knee joint, leaving a residual limb (stump) typically consisting of part of the femur.
Para Ice Hockey
Para ice hockey, also known as sledge hockey, is a high-intensity, intermittent sport requiring bursts of explosive effort interspersed with periods of lower intensity or rest. The dominant energy system is the anaerobic alactic (phosphagen) system, supplemented by the anaerobic lactic system during prolonged efforts.
Reasoning: Para ice hockey involves short, intense shifts (typically 30-60 seconds) of skating, stickhandling, and physical play, followed by recovery periods on the bench. The anaerobic alactic system provides immediate energy for these high-power outputs, relying on stored adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and creatine phosphate (CP) in muscles. This system supports maximal efforts for up to 10-15 seconds without producing lactate. For efforts extending beyond this, the anaerobic lactic system kicks in, breaking down glucose to produce ATP, generating lactate as a byproduct, which contributes to fatigue during longer shifts (up to 60 seconds). Aerobic metabolism plays a secondary role, aiding recovery between shifts by replenishing ATP and CP stores and clearing lactate.
Chemical Mechanism: The anaerobic alactic system utilizes ATP stored in muscles, which is broken down into adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and inorganic phosphate (Pi), releasing energy for muscle contraction. Creatine phosphate donates a phosphate group to ADP, rapidly regenerating ATP via the enzyme creatine kinase. This process is oxygen-independent and supports immediate, high-intensity efforts. In the anaerobic lactic system, glycogen or glucose is converted to pyruvate through glycolysis, producing ATP. In the absence of sufficient oxygen, pyruvate is reduced to lactate, allowing glycolysis to continue. This system provides energy for efforts lasting 10-60 seconds but leads to lactate accumulation, lowering muscle pH and causing fatigue.
Create Your Own Website With Webador