Endurance sports, particularly cross-country skiing, have traditionally focused on endurance. However, recent trends indicate a heightened demand for strength. As authors who previously practiced sports requiring significant strength and speed, we were intrigued by this shift and sought to deepen our understanding of coaching speed and strength in endurance sports. In this thesis, we investigate the effects of concurrent endurance, speed, and strength training through weekly power training sessions on the performance of 16 to 17-year-old high school athletes. The study included six-week over six weeks, including testing the athletes' speed and strength capabilities before and after the training intervention. The research addressed several questions regarding the impact of speed-strength training on velocity production, the athletes' running time, and the athletes' ability to produce more power. The objective was to research speed-strength training effectiveness while athletes were training endurance. The research was conducted in collaboration with the Vuokatti-Ruka Sports Academy. The athletes performed tests including a 20-meter flying sprint, ball throw, squats with weights, and countermovement jumps. The training program consisted of gym sessions focusing on squatting, cleaning, chin ups, and bench press. Statistical analyses revealed modest improvements in the athlete's performance across all tests. The athletes experienced minimal change or even a slight decline in performance. However, the majority developed and improved their test results. In the 20-meter run, the athletes' mean value improved by 0,03 seconds. The ball throw mean value improved by 19 centimeters. The squat mean value improved by 0,06 m/s for boys and 0,05m/s for girls. Counter movement jump mean value improved by 2,3 centimeters. Challenges such as injuries and illness affected the results to some extent, but overall, the training program positively affected the athletes' speed and strength capabilities. Despite setbacks and limitations, the study provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of concurrent train ing methods for young endurance athletes. The findings contribute to our understanding of training strategies for ski endurance athletes and offer practical implications for coaches. The majority of the athletes improved. Those who did not improve had suffered illnesses or injuries during the test period, which affected the results. However, those who could join training sessions and tests without obstacles improved due to added speed-strength training
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