Sensors (Apr 2025)

Associations Between Physiological Determinants and GNSS-Derived Technical Characteristics in Cross-Country Roller Skiing

  • Shunya Uda,
  • Naoto Miyamoto,
  • Wako Kajiwara,
  • Hiroshi Nakano,
  • Keisuke Onodera,
  • Ryoji Horimoto,
  • Takato Okada,
  • Masaki Takeda

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/s25082521
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 25, no. 8
p. 2521

Abstract

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This study aimed to examine how physiological determinants are associated with skiing technique and race performance in cross-country roller skiing by integrating motion data obtained via a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) with laboratory-based physiological assessments. Nineteen well-trained male skiers completed a 10 km roller ski race, during which skiing velocity, cycle length, cycle time, and sub-technique usage were measured using GNSS. Whole-body and upper-body endurance and power were evaluated on the treadmill and ski ergometer. Time to exhaustion during the double poling test (r = −0.84, p 2max from the pole walk and run test (r = −0.72, p 2max: r = 0.79, p p 2max: r = 0.58, p p < 0.05) in the most frequently used technique. These findings suggest that the development of both whole-body and upper-body endurance plays a crucial role in improving technical efficiency and race performances.

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