Abstract des Autors

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between sprint-prologue performance (using the classical technique) and the oxygen uptake at the lactate threshold (VO2obla), maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), and mean oxygen uptake during double poling (VO2dp). 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 VO2obla, VO2max, and VO2dp. 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 VO2obla (r=0.79, P=0.021), VO2max (r=0.86, P=0.0069), and VO2dp (r=0.94, P=0.00062). The following power-function models were established for race-speed prediction: 1.09 VO2obla0.21, 1.05 VO2max0.21, and 1.19 VO2dp0.20; 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. Verf.-Referat