Annual Volume and Distribution of Physical Training in Norwegian Female Cross-Country Skiers and Biathletes: A Comparison Between Sports, Competition Levels, and Age Categories—The FENDURA Project

Nov 2, 2023International journal of sports physiology and performance

Yearly Amount and Types of Physical Training in Norwegian Female Cross-Country Skiers and Biathletes Compared by Sport, Competition Level, and Age

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Abstract

XC skiers trained approximately 10% more annually than biathletes.

Both XC skiers and biathletes dedicated around 90% of their training to endurance activities.
Senior XC skiers engaged in more total hours of skiing and roller skiing compared to biathletes.
Biathletes had a higher percentage of endurance training conducted as skiing (81%) compared to XC skiers (68%).
National-level athletes completed more training hours annually than non-national-level athletes (740 hours vs 649 hours).
Junior athletes maintained a consistent level of endurance training throughout the year, unlike their senior counterparts.

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PURPOSE: To describe and compare the annual physical training characteristics between Norwegian female cross-country (XC) skiers and biathletes across competition levels and age categories.

METHODS: Daily training sessions for 1 year were recorded for 45 XC skiers and 26 biathletes, comprising international/national team (inter[national]) and nonnational/regional team members (nonnational) of both junior and senior age. Endurance, strength, flexibility, speed, and power training sessions were recorded. Data included exercise modality, intensity, and duration. Data were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models.

RESULTS: The total annual physical training volume consisted of ∼90% endurance training for both groups, although XC skiers had significantly higher total volumes (∼10%; P = .003; d = 0.78) than biathletes. Senior XC skiers performed more training hours of skiing and/or roller skiing compared with biathletes over the season. However, biathletes compensated for this lower volume by more skating and a higher proportion of endurance training as skiing (81% [17%]) compared with XC skiers (68% [16%]; P < .001; d = 0.94). Overall, (inter)national-level athletes completed a higher annual training volume than non-national-level athletes (740 [90] h vs 649 [95] h; P = .004;d = 0.81). Although juniors reported less endurance volume than seniors, they maintained a relatively stable level of endurance training across the preparatory and competition period, unlike senior athletes.

CONCLUSIONS: The higher annual physical training volume by XC skiers compared with biathletes is likely caused by the different demands of the 2 sports; XC skiing necessitates training for 2 skiing styles, while biathlon requires additional shooting practice. However, biathletes compensate with a higher proportion of ski training, particularly in the skating technique.

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Annual Volume and Distribution of Physical Training in Norwegian Female Cross-Country Skiers and Biathletes: A Comparison Between Sports, Competition Levels, and Age Categories—The FENDURA Project

Abstract

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