Our long tradition of research on cross-country skiing in connection with exercise science has taken advantage of the extraordinary physical capacities and unique quadripedal patterns of movement of the athletes involved. Such investigations of physiological and biomechanical responses have not only provided new insights into the factors that limit human performance, but also new knowledge about physiology, biomechanics and motor control in general. Although most early research on the physiological characteristics of cross-country skiers focused primarily on aerobic capacity, recent developments in this sport have also placed emphasis on the optimization of anaerobic capacity as well as strength/power. These changes have challenged certain current approaches to monitoring elite skiers in the laboratory. Considerably more attention is being placed on employing integrative physiological and biomechanical approaches in combination to gain novel insights that can contribute significantly to faster racing speeds and better overall performance. From the biomechanical perspective, the combination of varying terrain and a multiplicity of skiing techniques presents major challenges, both technical and cognitive (decision-making), to the individual athlete. Recent technological advances now allow researchers to investigate the dynamics of various physiological and biomechanical parameters during crosscountry skiing in greater detail and under more realistic conditions. Cross-country skiing, which is both physiologically and mechanically complex, has so far been studied mainly in the laboratory, where the combination of applied and more basic research has contributed considerably to advancements in this sport. Now more experiments in the field/on snow and/or during competition, focusing both on biomechanical and physiological approaches with the help of modern technology, are highly desirable and promise to improve the performance of crosscountry skiers even further. --- The hosting University of Jyväskylä is planning to publish conference proceedings "Science and Nordic Skiing III". In case you are interested in this publication please contact the editors (Anni Hakkarainen anni.s.j.hakkarainen@jyu.fi) to become registered for the book.
© Copyright 2015 3rd International Congress on Science and Nordic Skiing - ICSNS 2015. 5-8 June 2015, Vuokatti, Finland. Veröffentlicht von University of Jyväskylä; University of Salzburg. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.