Intermediate and long-term anaerobic performance of elite Alpine skiers

Abstract

Physiological requirements of Alpine skiing, demanding power from both aerobic and anaerobic sources, were first reported in 1965 by Bengt Saltin and coworkers. An update on the physiology of Alpine skiing was presented by Karlsson and colleagues in 1978, and their work remains a benchmark for most current research dealing with Alpine skiers. These works have identified muscular strength and complex motor skill abilities as essential to the competitive ski racer. The energy demands of Alpine ski racing dominate the range between 45 and 2 min. Since the late 1970s, many researchers have reported a variety of tests that associate test scores to skiing performance. Traditionally, short tests of anaerobic power such as the 30-s Wingate test have been used to reflect anaerobic capacity. Only recently have researchers and coaches begun to question whether a test that is shorter in duration than most skiing performances can estimate anaerobic power as it relates to Alpine ski racing. This study reviews current literature relative to physiological requirements for Alpine skiing as well as relating 18 nationally ranked male (N = 10) and female (N = 8) Alpine ski racers' USSA national points lists for slalom and giant slalom to power measures from 30-s and 90-s Wingate cycle ergometer tests. Further directions of physiological research in Alpine skiing are also offered.