Oxygen uptake at different intensities and sub-techniques predicts sprint performance in elite male cross-country skiers

Abstract

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 · ${\dot{\text V}{\rm O}}$ ₂obla^0.21, 1.05 · ${\dot{\text V}{\rm O}}$ ₂max^0.21, and 1.19 · ${\dot{\text V}{\rm O}}$ ₂dp^0.20; 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.