Introduction The ski binding plays an important role in ski mountaineering. When traveling uphill, the binding has an adjustable heel height known as the riser. Previous laboratory research reported ...joint kinematics and kinetics are influenced by riser height, however little is known about changes to muscle activity associated with differing joint motion. The purpose of this work was to assess riser height influence on kinematics and muscle activity at different slopes during on-snow skiing. Methods Three female and nine male recreational ski mountaineers (19-26 y) were tested on 5o and 16o gradients using no riser (0 cm) and riser (5.3 cm) at a submaximal 80% HRmax. Each subject used Backland 85 UL skis and Backland Bindings (Atomic Skis, Altenmarkt, Austria). Subjects skied for 6 min at each binding setting with the last 10 gait-cycles evaluating lower limb joint motion gathered from 2D-sagittal plane motion capture. Electromyography (EMG) collected unilaterally on the rectus femoris, biceps femoris, medial gastrocnemius and triceps brachii also. Results 5o slope: hip range of motion (ROM) decreased (p = .003), ankle ROM decreased (p = .005), stride length decreased (p = .004), rating of perceived exertion (RPE) increased (p = .02) for riser compared to no riser. At 16o slope: hip ROM decreased (p = .001), and RPE decreased (p = .004) for riser compared to no riser. HR, glide distance, velocity, EMG, and net mechanical efficiency were not different between riser heights on either slope. Discussion/Conclusion Lower body joint kinematics, step length and RPE varied significantly with riser height. Kinematic differences did not impact velocity or muscle activity when controlling pace. These results agree with previous findings showing minimal differences in EMG and HR while lower body kinematics and RPE changed with riser height.
Sport is known to have many positive effects on mental and physical health. High-intensity exercise is considered to decrease muscle strength and induce muscle fatigue, which is associated with a ...higher risk of injury. In recreational alpine skiers, a decrease of eccentric peak hamstring torque, as an indication of muscle fatigue, occurs even after 1 day of skiing. The popularity of ski mountaineering is increasing enormously, but no studies are available on its effects on muscle strength. Therefore, the present study examined the consequences of ski mountaineering on muscle fatigue of the concentric/eccentric quadriceps and/or hamstrings. In addition, a possible role of myofascial foam rolling in reducing muscle fatigue was evaluated. Fifty recreational ski mountaineers (27 males, 23 females) completed five consecutive tours of ski mountaineering within 1 week. After each day of skiing, participants underwent an isokinetic muscle test assessing the concentric and eccentric muscle strength of both thighs. One group completed an additional session of myofascial foam rolling. Right and left concentric quadriceps peak torque, left hamstrings peak torque, left eccentric quadriceps peak torque, as well as right and left hamstring peak torque, were reduced after a single day of ski mountaineering (
≤ 0.016 for all). However, no cumulative muscle fatigue was detected and we could not demonstrate any effect of myofascial foam rolling. The results show conclusively that a single day of ski mountaineering leads to a significant decrease of concentric and eccentric quadriceps and hamstring strength. Therefore, in order to improve muscle strength for the ski mountaineering season, a physical training program including concentric and eccentric methods can be recommended.
Nine Ski mountaineering (Ski-Mo), ten Nordic-Cross Country (NCC) and twelve world elite biathlon (Bia) athletes were evaluated for cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) performance as the primary aim ...of our descriptive preliminary report. A multicenter retrospective analysis of CPET data was performed in 31 elite winter sports athletes, which were obtained in 2021 during the annual medical examination. The matched data of the elite winter sports athletes (14 women, 17 male athletes, age: 18-32 years) were compared for different CPET parameters, and athlete's physique data and sport-specific training schedules. All athletes showed, as estimated in elite winter sport athletes, excellent performance data in the CPET analyses. Significant differences were revealed for VE
(respiratory minute volume at the second ventilatory threshold (VT2)), highest maximum respiratory minute volume (VE
), the indexed ventilatory oxygen uptake (VO
) at VT2 (VO
/kg
), the oxygen pulse at VT2, and the maximum oxygen pulse level between the three professional winter sports disciplines. This report provides new evidence that in different world elite winter sport professionals, significant differences in CPET parameters can be demonstrated, against the background of athlete's physique as well as training control and frequency.
This study aims to evaluate the agreement in maximum oxygen consumption (V˙O2max) between a running protocol and a ski mountaineering (SKIMO) protocol. Eighteen (eleven males, seven females) ski ...mountaineers (age: 25 ± 3 years) participated in the study. V˙O2max, maximum heart rate (HRmax), and maximum blood lactate concentration (BLAmax) were determined in an incremental uphill running test and an incremental SKIMO-equipment-specific test. V˙O2max did not differ between the SKIMO and uphill running protocols (p = 0.927; mean difference –0.07 ± 3.3 mL/min/kg), nor did HRmax (p = 0.587, mean difference –0.7 ± 5.1 bpm). A significant correlation was found between V˙O2max SKIMO and V˙O2max running (p ≤ 0.001; ICC = 0.862 (95% CI: 0.670−0.946)). The coefficient of variation was 4.4% (95% CI: 3.3−6.5). BLAmax was significantly lower for SKIMO compared to running (12.0 ± 14.1%; p = 0.002). This study demonstrates that V˙O2max determined with a traditional uphill running protocol demonstrates good agreement with an equipment-specific SKIMO protocol.
Competitive ski mountaineering (SKIMO) has achieved great popularity within the past years. However, knowledge about the predictors of performance and physiological response to SKIMO racing is ...limited. Therefore, 21 male SKIMO athletes split into two performance groups (elite: VO.sub.2max 71.2 + or - 6.8 ml* min.sup.-1 * kg.sup.-1 vs. sub-elite: 62.5 + or - 4.7 ml* min.sup.-1 * kg.sup.-1) were tested and analysed during a vertical SKIMO race simulation (523 m elevation gain) and in a laboratory SKIMO specific ramp test. In both cases, oxygen consumption (VO.sub.2), heart rate (HR), blood lactate and cycle characteristics were measured. During the race simulation, the elite athletes were approximately 5 min faster compared with the sub-elite (27:15 + or - 1:16 min; 32:31 + or - 2:13 min; p < 0.001). VO.sub.2 was higher for elite athletes during the race simulation (p = 0.046) and in the laboratory test at ventilatory threshold 2 (p = 0.005) and at maximum VO.sub.2 (p = 0.003). Laboratory maximum power output is displayed as treadmill speed and was higher for elite than sub-elite athletes (7.4 + or - 0.3 km h.sup.-1; 6.6 + or - 0.3 km h.sup.-1; p < 0.001). Lactate values were higher in the laboratory maximum ramp test than in the race simulation (p < 0.001). Pearson's correlation coefficient between race time and performance parameters was highest for velocity and VO.sub.2 related parameters during the laboratory test (r > 0.6). Elite athletes showed their superiority in the race simulation as well as during the maximum ramp test. While HR analysis revealed a similar strain to both cohorts in both tests, the superiority can be explainable by higher VO.sub.2 and power output. To further push the performance of SKIMO athletes, the development of named factors like power output at maximum and ventilatory threshold 2 seems crucial. Key words: Performance diagnosis, predictors of performance, oxygen uptake, competition simulation, winter sports physiology, ski mountaineering.
Eleven world elite ski-mountaineering (Ski-Mo) athletes were evaluated for pronounced echocardiographic physiological remodeling as the primary aim of our feasibility speckle tracking study. In this ...context, sports-related cardiac remodeling was analyzed by performing two-dimensional echocardiography, including speckle tracking analysis of the left atrium (LA), right ventricle (RV) and left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal strain (LV-GLS) at rest and post-peak performance. The feasibility echocardiographic speckle tracking analysis was performed on eleven elite Ski-Mo athletes, which were obtained in 2022 during the annual medical examination. The obtained data of the professional Ski-Mo athletes (11 athletes, age: 18-26 years) were compared for different echocardiographic parameters at rest and post-exercise. Significant differences were found for LV-GLS mean (
= 0.0036) and phasic LA conduit strain pattern at rest and post-exercise (
= 0.0033). Furthermore, negative correlation between LV mass and LV-GLS (
= 0.0195, r = -0.69) and LV mass Index and LV-GLS (
= 0.0253, r = -0.66) at rest were elucidated. This descriptive reporting provided, for the first time, a sport-specific dynamic remodeling of an entire elite national team of the Ski-Mo athlete's left heart and elucidated differences in the dynamic deformation pattern of the left heart.
Ski Mountaineering (SkiMo) is a fast growing sport requiring both endurance and technical skills. It involves different types of locomotion with and without the skis. The aim of this study is to ...develop and validate in the snowfield a novel inertial-based system for analysing cycle parameters and classifying movement in SkiMo in real-time. The study was divided into two parts, one focused on real-time parameters estimation (cadence, distance from strides, stride duration, stride length, number of strides, slope gradient, and power) and, second, on transition detection (kickturns, skin on, skin off, ski on and off backpack) in order to classify between the different types of locomotion. Experimental protocol involved 16 experienced subjects who performed different SkiMo trials with their own equipment instrumented with a ski-mounted inertial sensor. The results obtained by the algorithm showed precise results with a relative error near 5% on all parameters. The developed system can, therefore, be used by skiers to obtain quantitative training data analysis and real-time feedback in the field. Nevertheless, a deeper validation of this algorithm might be necessary in order to confirm the accuracy on a wider population of subjects with various skill levels.
In ski mountaineering, equipment and its interaction with the exercising human plays an important role. The binding, as the crucial connection between boot and ski, must ensure safe fixation during ...downhill skiing and a free moving heel when walking uphill. Uphill, the binding offers the possibility to adopt the height of the heel (riser height) to personal preferences and the steepness of the ascent. This possible adjustment and its influence on various biomechanical parameters are the focus of this work. For this study, 19 male leisure ski mountaineers were tested on a treadmill, ascending at a fixed submaximal speed (3.9 ± 0.4 km·h
−1
) at 8, 16, and 24% gradient and with three heel riser heights, low (0 cm), medium (3.0 cm) and high (5.3 cm). The applied biomechanical measurement systems included a 3D motion capture system in sagittal plane, pressure insoles, a with strain gauges instrumented pole, spirometry and a comfort scale. Step length and step frequency were influenced by the riser height and the gradient (
p
≤ 0.001). The high riser height decreased the step length by 5% compared to the low riser height over all tested gradients, while steps were 9.2% longer at the 24% gradient compared to the 8% gradient over all three riser heights. The high riser height revealed a force impulse of the pole 13% lower than using the low riser height (
p
< 0.001). Additionally, the high riser height reduced the range of motion of the knee joint and the ankle joint compared to the low riser height (
p
< 0.001). Therefore, advantageous settings can be derived, with the low riser height creating proper range of motion for ankle, knee and hip joint and higher propulsion via the pole at 8%, while higher riser heights like the medium setting do so at steeper gradients. These findings are in line with the conducted comfort scale. We would not recommend the highest riser height for the analyzed gradients in this study, but it might be an appropriate choice for higher gradients.
Investigate the effect of speed, inclination, and use of heel elevator on the oxygen cost of vertical climbing (C
) in ski mountaineering.
In this study, 19 participants who were (3 women and 16 men) ...moderate- to well-trained recreational Norwegian ski mountaineers were involved. All participants were tested for VO
in running, and in a ski mountaineering test on a treadmill, to assess C
. The test protocol consisted of 12 4 min work periods at different inclinations from 13 to 23°, with continuous VO
measurements. After every second work period, the inclination increased by 2°, and speed was decreased accordingly. The speed reduction was based on the equation V
= speed · sin(α), where α represents the angle of inclination. V
was thus held constant for each work period (854 m·h
). All work periods were completed twice, with and without a heel elevator. Half of the subjects started with the smallest inclination, and the other half started with the steepest inclination.
The results showed that C
was unchanged at all inclinations except 13°, where there was a significantly higher C
, at the same V
. Only at 13°, C
was higher with the use of heel elevator. There was also a significant trend indicating lower C
with use of heel elevator with steeper inclination.
There seemed to be nothing to gain by choosing detours if the inclination was 13° or less. The use of heel elevator was more advantageous, the steeper the inclination, but at 13° there was a negative effect of using heel elevator.
The aim of this study was to analyze nutritional habits of well-trained alpinists during a standard ski mountaineering tour. Therefore a sample of eighteen male ski mountaineers (25 ± 5.8 years, 73.2 ...± 6.1 kg, 180.2 ± 6.8 cm) were questioned after absolving a typical ski mountaineering tour e.g. Finsterarhorn 4274 meter (Cantone Bern); Gross Ruchen 3183 meter (Cantone Glarus); L'aiguille de la Tsa 3668 meter (Cantone Wallis). It was detected, that nutritional habits differed widely. From bread to meat and chocolate a broad range of nutritionals were consumed. Interestingly, despite the physiological demands special sports nutrition such as gels or special sport bars were not widely used. Lots of alpinists also consumed fruits or dried fruits such as apples or dried apricots. Interestingly, only one person paid special attention to salt intake. Fluid intake seemed with an average of 1.39 ± 0.68 liter per tour relatively low. This was probably also due to the aim of reducing backpack weight allowing to faster reach the peak while increasing security. Due to the low fluid intake Alpinists are encouraged to be well hydrated when starting and to drink sufficiently after finishing tours, especially when tours of several days are absolved a fast rehydration improves recovering and reduces risks of accidents in further tours in the following days.
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