Purpose To investigate the relationship between sprint-prologue performance (using the classical technique) and the oxygen uptake at the lactate threshold (VO2obla), maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), and mean oxygen uptake during double poling (VO2dp). Methods Eight elite male cross-country skiers [age 24.8 ± 4.8 years, (mean ± SD)] completed two treadmill roller-skiing tests using the diagonal-stride technique and a 60 s double-poling test on a ski-ergometer to determine their VO2obla, VO2max, and VO2dp. Performance data were generated from a 1.25 km sprint prologue. Power-function modelling was used to predict the skiers` race speeds based on the oxygen-uptake variables and body mass. Results There were correlations between the race speed and the absolute expression of the VO2obla (r = 0.79, P = 0.021), VO2max (r = 0.86, P = 0.0069), and VO2dp (r = 0.94, P = 0.00062). The following power-function models were established for race-speed prediction: 1.09 · VO2obla0.21, 1.05 · VO2max0.21, and 1.19 · VO2dp0.20; these models explained 60 % (P = 0.024), 73 % (P = 0.0073), and 87 % (P = 0.00073), respectively, of the variance in the race speed. However, body mass did not contribute to any of the models (P = 0.97, 0.88, and 0.21, respectively). Conclusions Oxygen uptake at different intensities and sub-techniques is an indicator of elite male sprint-prologue performance. The absolute expression of the investigated oxygen-uptake variables should be used when evaluating elite male sprint-prologue performances; if skiers oxygen uptake differs by 1 %, their performances will likely differ by 0.2 % in favour of the skier with higher oxygen uptake.
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