For Oddvar BrÃ¥, Vegard Ulvang, and Bjœrn Dæhlie, distance training was the main ingredient. Researcher Ulrik Wislœff believes that much of this training was worthless.
The researcher from Trondheim, Norway is strongly questioning the training philosophy used in all Norwegian endurance sports. He claims that the Norwegian Olympic Committee is leading athletes down the wrong path, that the Norwegian Ski Federation is “sleeping through class” by teaching the wrong things, and that Cross-Country skiers are wasting their time on worthless long distance sessions.
These statements can be found in a sensational article in the Norwegian magazine Skisport. Ulrik Wislœff challenges coaches and organizations that do not want to learn from the research he and other researchers at the cardiology department at the St.Olaf’s hospital in Trondheim, Norway are performing.
Minimal effect
“What use do you have from distance training other than recovery? Probably nothing… It may be a nice thing to do if you have time and enjoy being outside, but it gives minimal or no training effect”. This is what researcher Ulrik Wislœff writes about the training that Cross-Country skiers spend most of their time doing.
– Do you really mean that the most important part of a Cross-Country skier’s training is of no value?
“Yes, likely so. Some critics claim that I have forgotten the muscular benefits, but I have absolutely not. This also develops best by interval training. Instead of distance training you should rather spend the time on technique-training, or just “hang out” with friends – it gives you the same cardiovascular training benefits”, says Wislœff.
Interval training
Ulrik Wislœff has participated in the research project (lead by Jan Helgerud og Jan Hoff) that has given impulses to the new training concepts of the Norwegian Women’s National Cross-Country Team. The project has made him a huge supporter of interval training. He suggests three interval sessions during a normal training week, and thinks it may be beneficial to do 5 – 10 interval sessions per week (in some periods) if the athlete can get enough recovery and rest. These statements clash hard with the practiced training philosophies among Norwegian coaches.
– How can Norwegian Cross-Country skiers win so often by training so wrong?
“I think many of them have trained and are training correctly. They have done interval training without calling it so. What Bjœrn Dæhlie and others did is not unlike what we suggest”.
 to the working muscles. “For skiers this is just rubbish. It has been known for many years that even a moderately trained muscle is able to receive 2-3 times more blood/oxygen than the heart can provide”.</p>
<p>In Wislœff’s mind, one factor is more important than any other, namely max VO2. Research has shown that the best skiers have a higher max VO2, and interval and only interval training can improve this. “To compete with a lower max VO2 can be compared to driving a VW bug instead of a Mercedes. Luckily, it is very easy to become a Mercedes if you do the correct training”, writes Wislœff.</p>
<p>Also when it comes to strength-training, Cross-Country has been doing the wrong training. So far, endurance strength – in form of many repetitions – has been taught as the route to success. According to new research this is wrong. Wislœff says that endurance strength is just a phrase and not a “real” thing. He suggests heavier weights. “Strength training must be done with the goal of getting stronger, and done with few repetitions to avoid hypertrophy – you don’t want to ski around the Cross-Country course carrying extra weight”, says the researcher.</p>
<p>Perhaps these research results have the potential to improve the next generation of Norwegian Cross-Country skiers. National Team coach Svein Tore Samdal is trying some of these concepts with his Norwegian women’s team – we will watch for their progress this winter.</p>
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