scholarly journals Performance and Participation in the ‘Vasaloppet’ Cross-Country Skiing Race during a Century

Sports ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nastja Romancuk ◽  
Pantelis T. Nikolaidis ◽  
Elias Villiger ◽  
Hamdi Chtourou ◽  
Thomas Rosemann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Male Athletes ◽  
Small Magnitude ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
Race Time ◽  
Participation Of Women ◽  
Cross Country Skiing ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Cross Country

This study investigated gender differences in performance and participation and the role of nationality during one century in one of the largest cross-country (XC) skiing events in the world, the ‘Vasaloppet‘ in Sweden. The total number of female and male athletes who finished (n = 562,413) this race between 1922 and 2017 was considered. Most of the finishers were Swedish (81.03% of women and 88.39% of men), followed by Norwegians and Finnish. The overall men-to-women ratio was 17.5. A gender × nationality association was observed for participation (χ2 = 1,823.44, p < 0.001, φ = 0.057), with the men-to-women ratio ranging from 6.7 (USA) to 19.1 (Sweden). For both genders, the participation (%) of Swedish decreased, and that of all other nationalities (except Swiss) increased across years. Regarding the mean race time, men were faster than women by 14.5% (7 h 52 min 17 s versus 9 h 00 min 55 s, respectively). A trivial gender×nationality interaction regarding the race time was observed (p < 0.001, η2 < 0.001), with gender differences ranging from 4.4% (USA) to 22.0% (Iceland). The race time increased across calendar years for both women (r = 0.45, p = 0.006, moderate magnitude) and men (r = 0.25, p = 0.015, small magnitude). On the basis of these findings, we concluded that a relatively small number of women pariticipates in XC skiing. Therefore, the development of public health policies targeting the participation of women in XC skiing should be a concern in the countries with a tradition of this sport.

scholarly journals Is There an Optimal Pole Length for Double Poling in Cross Country Skiing?

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 197-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franziska Onasch ◽  
Anthony Killick ◽  
Walter Herzog
Keyword(s):  
Oxygen Uptake ◽  
Body Height ◽  
Metabolic Cost ◽  
Male Athletes ◽  
Double Poling ◽  
Acute Study ◽  
Ground Contact Time ◽  
Cross Country Skiing ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
The Given

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of pole length on energy cost and kinematics in cross country double poling. Seven sub-elite male athletes were tested using pole sets of different lengths (ranging between 77% and 98% of participants’ body height). Tests were conducted on a treadmill, set to a 2% incline and an approximate racing speed. Poling forces, contact times, and oxygen uptake were measured throughout the testing. Pole length was positively correlated with ground contact time (r = .57, p < .001) and negatively correlated with poling frequency (r = −.48, p = .003). Pole length was also positively correlated with pole recovery time and propulsive impulse produced per poling cycle (r = .36, p = .031; r = .35, p = .042, respectively). Oxygen uptake and pole length were negatively correlated (r = −.51, p = .004). This acute study shows that increasing pole length for double poling in sub-elite cross country skiers under the given conditions seems to change the poling mechanics in distinct ways, resulting in a more efficient poling action by decreasing an athlete’s metabolic cost.

scholarly journals Gear selection between techniques in freestyle cross-country skiing in athletes with intellectual impairment: A pilot study

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1150-1155
Author(s):  
Sven Blomqvist ◽  
Debbie Van Biesen ◽  
Yves Vanlandewijck
Keyword(s):  
International Organizations ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Intellectual Impairment ◽  
Race Time ◽  
Impaired Cognitive Function ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Cross Country Skiing ◽  
Overall Performance ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
Training Background

Cross-country skiing is a fast-paced, a cognitively demanding, and a popular sport within international organizations including athletes with intellectual impairment (II); however, research on how the level of II affects skiing performance is limited. The aim of this exploratory study was to compare differences in the overall performance (segment time and race time) and gear selection between a sample of cross-country skiers with II ( n = 22) and a control group of skiers without II ( n = 12), during a competitive 10 km freestyle race. The groups were matched on training background and skiing level based on interviews with coaches and trainers. The independent samples t-test revealed a higher velocity in the first segment for the control group (6.10 ± 0.62 m/s) compared to the skiers with II (5.50 ± 0.56 m/s; p < 0.05), but no significant differences in total race time between the groups. With respect to their ability to effectively select gears during the races, there was a significant difference between the groups, where the pattern was that skiers with II used a lower gear compared to the skiers without II and that pattern became even more apparent towards the second half of the race. These findings support the assumption that impaired cognitive function may constrain the ability to optimally select the appropriate gear in function of the characteristics of the skiing track, which is a key determinant of skiing performance.

A Portrait of Pacing Profile of Cross-Country Skiers in the Vasaloppet 2004–2017

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (11) ◽  
pp. 875-880
Author(s):  
Pantelis Nikolaidis ◽  
Elias Villiger ◽  
Thomas Rosemann ◽  
Beat Knechtle
Keyword(s):  
Race Time ◽  
Performance Group ◽  
Pacing Strategies ◽  
Main Effect ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
The Difference ◽  
And Performance

AbstractThe aim of the study was to examine the effect of performance group by race time (10 groups;<3 h, 3–4 h, and so on up to>12 h) on pacing in women (n=19,465) and men (n=164,454) finishers in the ‘Vasaloppet’ cross-country (XC) skiing race from 2004 to 2017. The speed in the fastest and slowest split was analysed as a percentage of the mean race speed and pacing was defined as the difference (%) between the fastest and slowest split. Women had a larger pace range than men (44.0±10.6% versus 41.1±12.5%, respectively, p<0.001, d=0.25). An almost perfect relationship between performance group and pacing was observed in women (r=0.900, p<0.001) and men (r=0.908, p<0.001). A large main effect of performance on pacing was observed in women (p<0.001, η2=0.292), where the smaller range was in the<4 h group (22.8±3.3%) and the largest in the 10–11 h group (49.2±9.9%). In men, the corresponding values were 21.6±2.2% (<3 h group) and 51.6±11.2% (10–11 h group; p<0.001, η2=0.474). Based on these findings, it was concluded that fast XC skiers had relatively the most even pacing and pacing became less even with decreasing performance. This information is of practical value for coaches working with XC skiers to develop optimal sex- and performance-tailored pacing strategies.

scholarly journals Digitalization of Cross-Country Skiing Training Based on Multisensor Combination

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Xingxing Li ◽  
Lulu Song ◽  
Hao Wu
Keyword(s):  
Information Integration ◽  
Estimation Algorithm ◽  
Human Motion ◽  
Body Motion ◽  
Displacement Estimation ◽  
The Status ◽  
Posture Prediction ◽  
Cross Country Skiing ◽  
Cross Country

The status and role of science and technology in the field of modern competitive sports have become increasingly prominent. The construction of a scientific training command system is of great significance for improving the scientific level of the training process and deepening the digital cognition of ski training. This paper is based on the multisensor combination to conduct a digital research on cross-country skiing training, aiming to conduct in-depth research on the realization of human motion capture and the theory of motion inertial sensing. To build a scientific, formal, and malleable ski training program, the requirements for data acquisition, recording, and analysis are quite strict. For this, it is necessary to use scientific and reasonable tools combined with multiple algorithms to process information and data. During the experiment, accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers are selected as sensors to receive motion information, and recognition algorithms for identifying weightlessness, hybrid filtering algorithm, displacement estimation algorithm, and kinematic principles are adapted to process multisensor data using information integration technology. A human body motion model was established based on kinematic principles, and a cross-country skiing motion measurement program was designed. The experimental results show that, according to the combination of multisensing and video platform, the athlete’s posture prediction is adjusted, and the action on the track is more consistent, which can accelerate the athlete’s skiing speed and the size of the inclination angle to a large extent. It can affect the direction of the athlete’s borrowing force and the adjustment of gravity during the exercise. The tilt angle is expanded from 135° to 170°, and it can maintain good continuity during the exercise.

Motivation of Slovenian and Norwegian Nordic Athletes towards Sports, Education and Dual Career

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
Robert Kerštajn ◽  
Mojca Doupona Topič
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Education Student ◽  
Dual Career ◽  
Male Athletes ◽  
Ski Jumping ◽  
Alpha Reliability ◽  
Cross Country Skiing ◽  
Cross Country

This research examined the motivation towards dual career of Norwegian and Slovenian elite Nordic athletes who compete in specific sports disciplines (cross-country skiing, ski jumping and biathlon) where winter conditions are essential. Due to preparations, trainings and competitions these athletes are often far away from their place of residence and education and make every effort to coordinate their sports career and their education. The sample consisted of 51 Norwegian (female: n = 18, age: 25.2 ± 3.7; male: n = 33, age: 23.6 ± 3.6) and 66 Slovenian athletes (female: n = 31, age: 22.9 ± 5.82; male: n = 35, age: 22.0 ± 4.59) who participate in the elite competitions. We have examined the links between three types of motivation (for study, sports and dual career) and socio-demographic characteristics. The factor analysis of the SAMSAQ-EU questionnaire demonstrated a three-factor model and the Crombach's Alpha reliability test confirmed the reliability of the measurement of three latent dimensions of motivation: AM (alpha = 0.878), SAM (alpha = 0.738) and CAM (alpha = 0.694). The results showed that female athletes are more motivated towards education than male athletes and that Slovenian athletes are more motivated towards sports careers than their Norwegian peers. The parents of the respondents from Norway (fathers as well as mothers) tend to have higher education than the parents of the Slovenian athletes, whereas the mothers have higher education than the fathers. More educated (Norwegian) parents contributed significantly to their children's involvement in sports, whereas Slovenian athletes would generally choose their sports career by themselves. Our research did not show significant links between the factor of motivation towards education and the factor of motivation towards sports. Although Norway and Slovenia both experience the lack of structural measures for education of elite athletes in higher education, student-athletes of both countries are highly motivated towards academic and sports career.

scholarly journals The Fall of the Queen of Nordic Skiing

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 121-138
Author(s):  
Ulrik Wagner ◽  
Elsa Kristiansen
Keyword(s):  
National Identity ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Individual Responsibility ◽  
Analytical Research ◽  
Cross Country Skiing ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
Harsh Criticism ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Nordic Skiing

Abstract In 2016, Norwegian cross-country skier Therese Johaug made her positive doping test public. We compare how the Norwegian and Swedish media covered the ensuing scandal with the aim of discovering how constructions of subjectivity, national identity, anti-doping policy and the role of cross-country skiing are interrelated. Drawing on a critical discourse analytical research design, we identify significant differences: the Norwegian media hesitated to call it a doping scandal and occasionally portrayed Johaug as a victim, whereas the Swedish media provided a platform for harsh criticism of the Norwegian’s use of medicine and emphasised the individual responsibility of the athlete. Thus, this study elucidates how sport is mediated as part of a national rivalry between two Scandinavian countries that are both heavily engaged in cross-country skiing.

scholarly journals Role of Nasal parameters in gender determination among medical students

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-121
Author(s):  
Bhima Neupane ◽  
Kanaklata Iyer ◽  
Brihaspati Sigdel
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Race And Ethnicity ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Anthropometric Measurement ◽  
Forensic Sciences ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Second Year

Introduction: Anthropometric measurement of the nose has a great importance to differentiate gender, race, and ethnicity. Nasal index is an important parameter in forensic sciences and rhinoplasty surgery. Our aim is to compare the nasal index of both males and females and its role to identify gender differences among medical students. Methods: First and second year medical students were chosen and height, breadth and nasal index were calculated. The height and width of the nose was measured using a vernier caliper. The nasal index of both males and females were calculated and compared and based on this, the nasal shape was also determined. Results: Among 184 total participants, 114 (61.9%) were Nepalese and 70 (38.1%) were Indian. In the Nepalese cohort, mean nasal height for male students was 4.58 ± 0.37 cm which was higher than females (4.39 ± 0.34 cm). The mean nasal index was higher among males in students of both the countries. The mesorrhine was most common type of morphology found among all students. Conclusions: Nasal index of male medical students was significantly higher than females. Mesorrhine nose was the commonest type of nose in our study. This information may be used to estimate gender differences.  

scholarly journals The Role of Nationality in Ultra-Endurance Sports: The Paradigm of Cross-Country Skiing and Long-Distance Running

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. 2543
Author(s):  
Beat Knechtle ◽  
Thomas Rosemann ◽  
Pantelis Theo Nikolaidis
Keyword(s):  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Marathon Running ◽  
Endurance Running ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Endurance Sports ◽  
Long Distance Running ◽  
Cross Country Skiing ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
Ultra Endurance

Although the variation of performance by nationality in endurance sports such as marathon has been well studied, little information exists so far on the role of nationality on performance in ultra-endurance sports. The aim of the present study was to review the role of nationality on cross-country skiing and ultra-endurance running. Scopus and PubMed were searched using the syntax “nationality AND (ultra-endurance OR ultra-marathon OR cross-country skiing) in 1/4/2020. This search identified 17 articles, whose references were further examined for relevant literature. It was observed that Russian athletes dominated ultra-endurance running and cross-country skiing races. It was shown that these races were in other countries, where it was assumed that only the best Russians competed. Potential explanations could be misuse of performance enhancing substances, historical, climate-geographical and psychophysiological (e.g., combination of genetic and social factors). In summary, recent studies found a dominance of Russian athletes in specific races (i.e., ‘Comrades Marathon’, ‘Vasaloppet’, and ‘Engadin Ski Marathon’) and disciplines (i.e., ultra-marathon running, cross-country skiing) over a period of several decades. Future studies are need to investigate other events and other sport disciplines to confirm this Russian dominance.

scholarly journals The Role of Upper Body Power in Classical Cross-Country Skiing Performance

2006 ◽  
Vol 38 (Supplement) ◽  
pp. S238
Author(s):  
Nathan G. Alsobrook ◽  
Janelle L. Lore ◽  
Daniel P. Heil
Keyword(s):  
Upper Body ◽  
Cross Country Skiing ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
Upper Body Power ◽  
Classical Cross
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