Abstract des Autors

There is still a controversy about alcohol use and alpine skiing. Several investigators believe alcohol to increase injury risk in skiing, not only as a consequence of drinking while skiing, but also as a consequence of the previous night's drinking. This study does not attempt to find out if there is a relationship between alcohol use and injury figures. It also does not look at whether the use of alcohol is prevalent on our slopes. Rather, its objective is to determine whether alcohol has an effect on specific performance tasks, considered prerequisite to safe skiing. Our investigation looked at two different situations; (1) day alcohol and (2) post-intoxication (hangover). Two experimental conditions were tested in both of these two situations; a low alcohol level (BAC approx. 0.03%) and a medium level (BAC approx. 0.06%). Each experimental group consited of N=22 subjects, a control group (N=19) served to test effects such as fatigue and learning. The amount of alcohol given to the subjects was individually determined according to an equation which takes into account gender, age, weight and height. Every subject had to perform a set of tests three times, sober in the morning of the first day, after drinking alcohol during the lunch break and in the next morning after drinking the night before. The test procedure consisted of a (1) reaction test (2) static balance test (3) dynamic balance test and (4) a skiing performance test on the slope. The latter was designed to combine a (1) perception (2) decision-making and (3) movement-execution task, thus simulating a complex skiing manoeuvre. (This test has been successfully applied in an earlier vision study performed by the authors). The statistical tests performed could not reject the common opinion of a negative influence of alcohol on motor and control tasks. However, a significant decrease in performance due to day alcohol could only be observed in the reaction test and clear hangover effects could only be seen in the static balance test. In the skiing performance test no relevant performance loss was registered neither under day alcohol nor under hangover. Considering these results, it is concluded that a BAC limit of 0.05% should be recommended as an upper limit for alcohol consumption on the slopes. Additional research however is needed in order to further specify the effective intoxication level to provide both skiers and courts with guidelines concerning the likely dangers and risks associated with alcohol consumption in skiing. Verf.-Referat