Norwegian National Team skier Hilde Gjermundshaug Pedersen doesn’t like the word dieting, but notes that some skier has it on their plan. She warns very strongly against young skiers trying this in order to become a better ski racer.
-This is a warning to all young skiers since this is not the way to go. Dieting is not a short cut in order to become a better ski racer. The only thing that will make you a better racer is lots and correct training over many years along with a well balanced meal plan with sufficient intake of food and fluid, – says Hilde. G. Pedersen. She also states that it’s important to take one step at a time.
You will only experience a short-lived benefit if you loose lots of weight in a short time-period.
-You need sufficient food and fluid intake in order to become good. Weight loss will give you a quick, but short-term boost in MaxVo2. After that you will experience that your body will start to “eat” its own muscles and that’s the end of the short-term benefit. We have to hope that those who are trying this can control themselves, says Pedersen.
Don’t you need to be skinny to ski fast?
Not at all. Look at Vibeke Skofterud, Marit Bjorgen and myself. We are not skinny. We have muscles and are skiing fast. We have healthy idols, says the veteran ski racer.
Dieting has become a conversation subject in the National team circles as well.
-I’m concerned about cross country skiing if dieting is allowed to develop again. We might then again see the same what we saw in the eighties and I don’t want to be a part of that once again. I’m seeing some of the same signals now as I saw then and don’t enjoy being a part of that type of environment, states Hilde.