High-Volume Resistance Training Improves Double-Poling Peak Oxygen Uptake in Youth Elite Cross-Country Skiers and Biathletes: A Pilot Study

Abstract

A total of nineteen elite youth cross-country skiers (16 ± 2 years) were divided into three groups: a low-load group (LL, n = 6) performing 15–20 repetitions per exercise, a high-load group (HL, n = 9) executing 6–12 repetitions, and a control group (CON, n = 4) exclusively engaging in endurance training. Testing included 1RM in upper-body exercises, VO2max running tests, and double-poling (DP) ergometer exhaustion and sprint tests to determine peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak-DP) and peak power (PP). The results indicated that HL and LL showed significant increases in VO2peak-DP, both in absolute values (d = −1.2 and −1.2, p p 2peak-DP, PP during DP tests to exhaustion increased in both HL (d = −1.6, p p p p 2peak-DP, indicating a dose–response relationship to the load magnitude of resistance training.

Keywords

• cross-country skiing
• concurrent training
• double poling
• endurance performance
• resistance training