Scaling maximal oxygen uptake to predict performance in elite-standard men cross-country skiers

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to: 1) establish the optimal body-mass exponent for maximal oxygen uptake (VO(2)max) to indicate performance in elite-standard men cross-country skiers; and 2) evaluate the influence of course inclination on the body-mass exponent. Twelve elite-standard men skiers completed an incremental treadmill roller-skiing test to determine VO(2)max and performance data came from the 2008 Swedish National Championship 15-km classic-technique race. Log-transformation of power-function models was used to predict skiing speeds. The optimal models were found to be: Race speed = 7.86 · VO(2)max · m(-0.48) and Section speed = 5.96 · [VO(2)max · m(-(0.38 + 0.03 · α)) · e(-0.003 · Δ) (where m is body mass, α is the section's inclination and Δ is the altitude difference of the previous section), that explained 68% and 84% of the variance in skiing speed, respectively. A body-mass exponent of 0.48 (95% confidence interval: 0.19 to 0.77) best described VO(2)max as an indicator of performance in elite-standard men skiers. The confidence interval did not support the use of either "1" (simple ratio-standard scaled) or "0" (absolute expression) as body-mass exponents for expressing VO(2)max as an indicator of performance. Moreover, results suggest that course inclination increases the body-mass exponent for VO(2)max.