Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to investigate how various laboratory- and field-based tests predict on-snow cross-country (XC) skiing and roller-skiing performance. Thirty-three national-level male XC skiers (19.0±2.5 years, maximal oxygen uptake [VO2max] 70.8±4.7 mL·min-1·kg-1) performed a 13.6-km roller-ski skating competition tracked by a global positioning system (GPS), which together with individual distance International Ski Federation (FIS) points was used to assess their performance level. On separate days, time in a 6.4-km uphill running time-trial (RUN-TT) and 1.3-km uphill roller-ski double-poling time-trial (DP-TT) was measured in the field and performance indices determined while running and roller-ski skating in the laboratory. The mean finishing times for the RUN-TT and the DP-TT showed moderate to large correlations with distance FIS points and performance in the roller-ski skating competition (r = 0.56–0.72; all p<0.05). RUN-TT was more strongly correlated with distance FIS points than DP-TT (r = 0.72 versus 0.56; p<0.05). Performance indices and VO2max in incremental running and roller-ski skating in the laboratory showed large to very large correlations with distance FIS points and roller-skiing performance (r = 0.50–0.90; all p<0.05). Performance indices and VO2max in running tended to be more strongly correlated with roller-skiing performance than corresponding values obtained while roller-ski skating (all p<0.10). The present findings suggest that both laboratory performance indices and field-based performance tests provide valid predictions of XC skiing and roller-skiing performance in a heterogeneous group of male XC skiers, with test values obtained in running tending to be more strongly correlated with XC skiing performance than those found for technique-specific modalities on roller skis. However, more sophisticated and mode-specific testing might be required for more homogenous groups of elite XC skiers.
Highlights
Cross-country (XC) skiing is an endurance sport combining upper- and lower-body work to cross varied terrain in competitions lasting from ~3 min to ~2 h [1]
The overall finishing time for the roller-ski skating competition was 34:22±02:03 min, during which the athletes generally employed a positive lap-to-lap pacing pattern
Both field-based tests showed moderate to large correlations with distance FIS points in addition to overall performance and Distance, time, and speed for a 6.4-km uphill running time-trial, a 1.3-km uphill double-poling time-trial and a 13.6-km roller-ski skating competition in a group of national-level male cross-country skiers (n = 33)
Summary
Cross-country (XC) skiing is an endurance sport combining upper- and lower-body work to cross varied terrain in competitions lasting from ~3 min to ~2 h [1]. Performance indices (e.g., peak speed and time to exhaustion) and peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) in various roller skiing sub-techniques are typically used for monitoring athletes, as they have been strongly correlated with XC skiing performance [7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15], and in particular, with performance in uphill terrain [10, 12, 15]. The ability to efficiently convert metabolic energy into external work and speed (i.e., gross efficiency) has been correlated with XC skiing performance [10, 16]. It has not yet been examined whether these technique-specific tests provide more valid predictions for XC skiing and roller skiing performance than traditional running tests
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