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Physiological factors associated with ski-mountaineering vertical race performance

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Abstract

Purpose

Despite their increasing popularity, there are no studies analyzing the performance of ski-mountaineering vertical races. For the first time, this study examined a vertical competition, exploring the association between laboratory measures and uphill performance by means of multiple regression analysis.

Methods

Nine high-level ski-mountaineers (age 20.6 ± 3.0 years, VO2max 69.3 ± 7.4 mL/min/kg) performed an anthropometric assessment and a laboratory ski-mountaineering graded exercise test (GXT) to evaluate VO2max, gross efficiency (GE), ventilatory thresholds (VTs), blood lactate thresholds (LTs), as well as the power output associated with these indices. Race characteristics in terms of vertical gain, length, and mean gradient were, respectively, as follows: 460 m, 3 km, 15.3% for junior men and senior women; 600 m, 3.5 km, 17.1% for senior men.

Results

Average race time was 23:35 ± 01:25 (mm:ss). Mean power output exerted during the race was 3.40 ± 0.34 W/kg, equal to 79.0 ± 3.5% of maximal and 95.3 ± 5.2% of VT2 calculated in the GXT. The most performance-correlated variable was the VO2 at VT2 (mL/min/kg) (r = 0.91, p < 0.001), which accounted for the 80% of performance variation (adjusted R 2 = 0.80, p = 0.001). When GE was included in the analysis, the regression model was significantly improved (adjusted R 2 = 0.90, p = 0.031).

Conclusions

The study showed that the mean power output sustained during a vertical race is close to the power associated with VT2 and it is highly correlated with athletes’ physiological characteristics. Particularly, two variables, VO2 at VT2 and GE, measurable with a specific GXT, accounted for the 90% of performance variation in a ski-mountaineering vertical race. Accordingly, training programs should focus on the maximal development of VT2 as well as on increasing GE by technical improvement.

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Abbreviations

GE:

Gross efficiency

GXT:

Graded exercise test

ISMF:

International Ski Mountaineering Federation

LTs:

Blood lactate thresholds

PMax:

Maximal power output

RER:

Respiratory exchange ratio

VO2max :

Maximal oxygen consumption

VT1:

First ventilatory threshold

VT2:

Second ventilatory threshold

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CeRiSM, Sport Mountain and Health Research Centre, University of Verona, Rovereto, Italy

    Alessandro Fornasiero, Aldo Savoldelli, Gennaro Boccia, Andrea Zignoli, Lorenzo Bortolan, Federico Schena & Barbara Pellegrini

  2. Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy

    Alessandro Fornasiero, Aldo Savoldelli, Gennaro Boccia, Lorenzo Bortolan, Federico Schena & Barbara Pellegrini

  3. NeuroMuscular Function Research Group, Department of Medical Sciences, School of Exercise and Sport Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy

    Gennaro Boccia

Authors
  1. Alessandro Fornasiero
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  2. Aldo Savoldelli
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  4. Andrea Zignoli
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  6. Federico Schena
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Correspondence to Alessandro Fornasiero.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures were approved by the Local Research Ethics Committee and were carried out in line with the Declaration of Helsinki.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Fornasiero, A., Savoldelli, A., Boccia, G. et al. Physiological factors associated with ski-mountaineering vertical race performance. Sport Sci Health 14, 97–104 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-017-0407-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-017-0407-0

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