INTRODUCTION: It is generally accepted that start performance is a crucial part of elite competitive skiing due to the fact that a few hundredths of a second can win a race. Biomechanical analysis by Pozzo et al. (2000) and unpublished video analysis of World cup races shows tremendous differences in start performance that can reach up to 0.25 s after 50 meters among top level racers. To the authors knowledge no published work concerning the possibility to improve the start performance through technique training is available. Consequently, the aim of the current study was to assess the potential of a specific technique training intervention on alpine skiing starts. The training included the gate push-off and the efficiency of the pushing movement prior the first turn or gliding section. METHOD: Fifteen members of the Austrian European Cup Team and National Youth Team participated in the study. The training intervention of the experimental group (n=7) contained a total of 130 different exercises within 15 sessions, plus one hour of verbal instructions. Before and after the training intervention all subjects were tested using five starts with maximal effort on a start hill that is representative of a Downhill or super G race. Additionally four gliding trials were performed to account for differences in the gliding properties of the skis used. The conditions considered were: start performance short (SPS, time after 5 m), start performance long (SPL, time after 44 m) and velocity of exit (VEX, speed at 44 m). Differences between groups in pre to post training changes were analyzed using a MANCOVA (Pool of variables: first start, mean of starts, fastest start; Covariate is gliding performance). Post hoc analysis was performed using an independent t-test. RESULTS: The condition SPS showed only a tendency towards an improved performance (p<.071). For SPL (p<.018) and VEX (p<.047) significant improvements of the performance due to the intervention program were observed. The amount of improvement in SPL (mean of 5 Starts) was 0.101s for the experimental group compared to the control group. The improvement in mean VEX was 1.55 km/h. For the same variable individual improvements of 0.181 s for SPL and 2.7 km/h for VEX were observed. DISCUSSION / CONCLUSION: The fact that SPS did not improve significantly can be explained by the priorities set during the training process. Those were more towards covering the pushing movement than the gate push off. Next, due to the pure reduction in time needed for the first 45 m of a race (hence also for the overall race performance). it is likely that the increased speed serves as a benefit for the subsequent section too. Considermg a cost-benefit calculation on the additional effort caused by specific start training we can state that the training was rather sufficient in terms of overall performance since a few hundredths of a second make the difference between winning and not winning races ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: The authors would like to thank the Austrian Ski Federation. namely Toni Giger and Günter Obkircher, for their support and inputs for the project.
© 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.