Published in:
01-12-2014 | Original Article
Oxygen uptake at different intensities and sub-techniques predicts sprint performance in elite male cross-country skiers
Published in: European Journal of Applied Physiology | Issue 12/2014
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Purpose
To investigate the relationship between sprint-prologue performance (using the classical technique) and the oxygen uptake at the lactate threshold (\( {\dot{\text V}{\rm O}} \)
2obla), maximal oxygen uptake (\( {\dot{\text V}{\rm O}} \)
2max), and mean oxygen uptake during double poling (\( {\dot{\text V}{\rm O}} \)
2dp).
Methods
Eight elite male cross-country skiers [age 24.8 ± 4.8 years, (mean ± SD)] completed two treadmill roller-skiing tests using the diagonal-stride technique and a 60 s double-poling test on a ski-ergometer to determine their \( {\dot{\text V}{\rm O}} \)
2obla, \( {\dot{\text V}{\rm O}} \)
2max, and \( {\dot{\text V}{\rm O}} \)
2dp. Performance data were generated from a 1.25 km sprint prologue. Power-function modelling was used to predict the skiers’ race speeds based on the oxygen-uptake variables and body mass.
Results
There were correlations between the race speed and the absolute expression of the \( {\dot{\text V}{\rm O}} \)
2obla (r = 0.79, P = 0.021), \( {\dot{\text V}{\rm O}} \)
2max (r = 0.86, P = 0.0069), and \( {\dot{\text V}{\rm O}} \)
2dp (r = 0.94, P = 0.00062). The following power-function models were established for race-speed prediction: 1.09 · \( {\dot{\text V}{\rm O}} \)
2obla0.21, 1.05 · \( {\dot{\text V}{\rm O}} \)
2max0.21, and 1.19 · \( {\dot{\text V}{\rm O}} \)
2dp0.20; these models explained 60 % (P = 0.024), 73 % (P = 0.0073), and 87 % (P = 0.00073), respectively, of the variance in the race speed. However, body mass did not contribute to any of the models (P = 0.97, 0.88, and 0.21, respectively).
Conclusions
Oxygen uptake at different intensities and sub-techniques is an indicator of elite male sprint-prologue performance. The absolute expression of the investigated oxygen-uptake variables should be used when evaluating elite male sprint-prologue performances; if skiers oxygen uptake differs by 1 %, their performances will likely differ by 0.2 % in favour of the skier with higher oxygen uptake.