World-Class Female Cross-Country Skiers – A Glimpse at the Upper Limits of Human Endurance!

Newswise — Across decades, world-class cross-country skiers have shown aerobic fitness levels that approach the upper limits of human endurance. In this study, the researchers investigated sport-specific physiological capacity and the annual training of the world’s six highest ranked female cross-country skiers, and then compared them to six lower ranked elite skiers. The world-class skiers exhibited some of the highest maximal oxygen uptake values ever reported, and showed that they were able to use their maximal aerobic power while performing technically complex skiing techniques. These top performers invested close to 1000 hours each year in training in order to achieve those capacities – a large amount of that training was at low-to-moderate intensity, performing whole-body exercises. This was interspersed with high-intensity sessions twice each week, whereas strength or speed training was performed every second day. The study provides benchmark values for female endurance athletes aiming for medals in international championships. View the abstract here.