INTRODUCTtON: Traditionally, the primary ski skating technique in moderate uphill terrain has been the V2, whereas the V1 has been used in steeper inclines. However, in the recent years it is observable that some elite skiers have put more emphasis in use of the V2 technique even at steep uphill terrain. We therefore wanted to compare V1 against V2 concerning VO2max. O2-cost and performance at moderate to steep uphill terrain in elite cross country skiers. METHODS: Fourteen elite senior male (23.9±3.0 yrs, 183.6±6.2 cm, 79.1 ±7.1 kg, V1 VO2max; 71.8±3.5 ml.kg-1.min-1) cross country skiers participated in the study. Six submaximal trials (4-6°), two performance tests (7°) and two VO2max tests (8°) were performed on a large rollerski treadmill. Oxygen consumption, heart rate (HR), blood lactate concentration and the rate of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured during the tests. At the performance test the skiers should complete 600 m as fast as possible (self selected speed). All results are reported as means and standard deviation (SD). RESULTS/DISCUSSION: In average, no significant differences between V1 and V2 in O2-cost and lactate concentration during the submaximal loads (Fig. 1) or VO2max, HR, RPE and performance during the maximal tests (moderate to steep inclinations) were found. This is in contrast to previous studies (Kvamme et al 2005, Millet et al 2003). This can indicate that technique improvements have occurred parallel to the development of sprint skiing and mass starts abilities. However, inter individual variation was observed and lead to a conclusion that ski skating performance in moderate to steep incline may be determined by the training history and technique solutions of the subjects. Conclusions: On background of previous studies, our results may indicate that the V2 technique has developed the last decade to also be accurate in moderate to steep inclinations. One advantage of this ability is that skiers can shift between V1 and V2 in long uphill terrain with similar O2 cost. In addition skiers could complete short uphill sections without changes gear, which may keep the speed and rhythm better.
© Copyright 2010 Book of Abstracts. 5th International Congress on Science and Skiing, Dec. 14 - 19, 2010, St. Christoph am Arlberg. Veröffentlicht von University of Salzburg, Interfakultärer Fachbereich Sport- und Bewegungswissenschaft/USI. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.