Abstract
The purpose of this study was to compare the heart rate responses and the speed of
three different skating techniques and the diagonal stride in cross-country skiing.
The subjects were ten elite male cross-country ski racers, 16 to 25 years of age.
They skied a 3.04-km loop of various terrain four separate times, using a different
technique for each trial. A thirty-minute recovery period was allowed between each
trial. Heart rate and skiing velocities were analyzed over a flat, an uphill, and
a downhill section, as well as for the total loop. No significant differences (p >
0.05) were found in heart rate values between the four techniques on all sections
of the course, while heart rates were significantly different over the three different
sections. Skiing velocities were significantly different (p < 0.05) between the diagonal
stride and all skating techniques, the diagonal stride being the slowest technique,
and this, for all sections. Energy costs while skiing were estimated on the basis
of individual HR/ V̇O2 curve determined under laboratory conditions. Since no differences in HR were found
between the four techniques, no differences in energy costs were found. These energy
costs represented between 69 and 73% of max V̇O2, and between 87 and 89% of max HR for the 3.04-km loop. Thus, for the same estimated
energy expenditure, greater speeds (16%) were achieved with the skating techniques
than with the diagonal stride.
Key words
Cross-country skiing - diagonal stride - skating - heart rate responses
