Physiological predictors of performance in cross-country skiing from treadmill tests in male and female subjects

• Published in: Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports Vol. 12; no. 6; pp. 347 - 353
• Main Authors: Larsson, P., Olofsson, P., Jakobsson, E., Burlin, L., Henriksson-Larsén, K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Munksgaard International Publishers 01.12.2002; Blackwell
• Subjects: Acidosis - physiopathology; Adolescent; anaerobic threshold; Anaerobic Threshold - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Body composition; Cardiac Output - physiology; cross-country skiing; Energy Metabolism; exercise test; Exercise Test - methods; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gender; Heart Rate - physiology; Humans; Lactic Acid - blood; Male; MEDICIN; MEDICINE; muscle strength; OBLA; Oxygen Consumption - physiology; Physical Endurance - physiology; physiological testing; physiological testing; ranking; Predictive Value of Tests; Pulmonary Gas Exchange - physiology; ranking; Sex Factors; Skiing - physiology; Statistics as Topic - methods; Vertebrates: body movement. Posture. Locomotion. Flight. Swimming. Physical exercise. Rest. Sports; Human; Treadmill exercise; Physical exercise; Biochemical analysis; Healthy subject; Physical performance; Crosscountry skiing; Sex; Oxygen consumption; Exploration; Athlete; Blood; Sports medicine; Lactates; Lung function; Adult; Physiology; Predictive factor; Metabolic acidosis
• ISSN: 0905-7188; 1600-0838; 1600-0838
• DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0838.2002.01161.x

In order to study which parameter that best corresponds to performance during cross‐country skiing, seven male and nine female cross‐country skiers were tested with treadmill tests. Parameters measured or computed by metabolic gas measurements were the anaerobic threshold (AT), threshold of decompensated metabolic acidosis (TDMA), the exercise intensity where the Respiratory exchange ratio reaches 1.0 (R = 1) and peak oxygen (O2) uptake (VO2peak). Onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA, 4 mmol·l−1 blood lactate) was also measured. The various parameters were measured in percentage of maximal heart rate, percentage of peak O2 uptake, VO2 ml·kg−1·min−1, VO2 ml·min−1·kg−2/3 and VO2 l·min−1. Results from four large competitions were also collected to rank the subjects. With correlation analysis, it was revealed that in male subjects a high OBLA was associated with good ranking results (r = (−0.829) − (−0.964); P < 0.05–0.001). In female subjects, the best association with competition results was found for R = 1 (r = (−0.715) − (−0.810); P < 0.05). Concerning VO2 measurements, for male subjects the unit l·min−1 is suggested to be used and for female subjects either the units l·min−1, ml·min−1·kg−2/3, or ml·kg−1·min−1 could be used when predicting performance in cross‐country skiing. In conclusion, treadmill tests can be used for the prediction of performance in cross‐country skiing. Further, various parameters from treadmill tests in men and women are best used as predictors of performance in cross‐country skiing.