INTRODUCTION: The Japanese cross-country skiing athletes of the 21st Olympic Winter Games (2010/Vancouver) were planned to be transferred to the Olympic village after having participated in the World Cup Games held in Canmore at 1,600m above sea level. The present study is the report of sports science support to the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, mainly aiming to evaluate the time-course of physiological adaptation to altitude, taking the function of the autonomic nervous system as the index, and to confirm the athletes' skiing skills by motion analysis. METHOD: Six athletes (2 males and 4 females) participated in the Winter Olympic Garnes in Vancouver were analyzed using the following tests: 1. Evaluation of the time-course of physiological adaptation to altitude taking the function of the autonomic nervous system as the index. During the preliminary training camp "A" (Jan.19.-25., 700 m above sea level), "B" (Jan.26.-Feb.2., 1,600 m above sea level) and World Cup (Feb.3.-8., 1,600 m above sea level) the function of the autonomic nervous system was evaluated, by using heart rate during an active stand-up test as the index, the determination of SpO2 and hemoglobin, and the assessment of physiological motor strength by Training Impulse (TRIMP). 2. Confirmation of skiing skills by Motion Analysis: During the preliminary training camps and the period of the Winter Olympic Games, we conducted a motion study of skiing skills by motion analysis using several Video cameras. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Using the preliminary training camp "A" at low altitude as reference, changes in heart rate for the active stand-up test during the preliminary training camp "B" and the World Cup were analyzed. Most of the athletes showed an increase in heart rates and a blunted heart rate response to training, immediately after the transfer to the preliminary training camp "B". A tendency toward recovery was observed after 5-7 days. These findings may be attributed to the fact that the training for the first 5 days in the preliminary training camp "B" was dedicated to low intensity training such that time for recovery was sufficient prior to when speed training was carried out and that the athletes duly paid attention to the intake of water even in their daily life. The Japanese athlete who was ranked high in the women 30 km classical race (Mass Start) had the strategy of staying just behind the top group for the first 15 km, with a goal of moving up in the second half of the race. Motion analysis of the skiing skills demonstrated that the Japanese athtete showed almost the same high angular speeds of the hip joint compared to the athletes who reached the podium of the race. This was particularly true for the latter half of the race all the way through the final sprint. It is thus suggested that the Japanese athlete was able to follow her strategy and match the skiing motions of the top athletes during the second half of the race. Additional work is needed to determine if Japanese athletes can maintain such a cadence from start to finish in future races.
© 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.