 then follow this with testing. Afterwards you see what training has done for an athlete’s physiology. Without an objective, testing is a waste of time.†</p>
<p>The battery of tests the national team underwent included Lactate and Vo2Max treadmill tests, lower body force and power tests using force plate technology, along with two double pole tests — one a 30 second effort, the other a 4 minute test. The team also underwent physicals and a fasted blood draw.</p>
<p>“For me, the double pole efforts tell me more than the Vo2 test,†said Mr. Hill. Vo2 max is an absolute necessity to get into the club of international skiing. These guys got that card. They’re in the club. Vo2, once you’re at the top level, though, is not that great a predictor of performance. Other indicators like threshold values, or the muscular efficiency to sustain a higher percentage of max heart rate in a race.</p>
<p>“At the end of the day though, cross-country skiing is a full body sport. While the upper body makes up about 30% of the power expenditure of skiing, it translates into 70% of a skier’s propulsion. In other words, upper body power is critical.â€</p>
<p>Chris Cook during the four minute double pole test – measuring average watts and meters traveled:</p>
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The U.S. Ski Team Narrows Its Focus – More Training, Testing & On-Snow Time
FasterSkierJuly 18, 2008www.skileavenworth.com)
