Alpine ski mechanics, the understanding of which would allow us to predict muscle use, indicate zero as the lowest limit of extra negative work. Despite the environmental, experimental, and technical complexity of this motor activity, modern GPS, hi-res cartography, EMG and electrogoniometry, wireless loggers and drone technology allow a more accurate description of it. An energy analysis of descents on skis seems to indicate that less than 40-50% of the potential energy has to be dissipated by muscles via eccentric contractions. Measurement improvements in the next few years will allow us to evidence any positive work (concentric) contributing to increase a skier's kinetic energy at the end of a turn.
© Copyright 2018 Science and Skiing VII. Published by Meyer & Meyer. All rights reserved.