How German Cross-Country Skiers Adapted Training During COVID-19
Author Information
Author(s): H. Kock, A. Schürer, C. A. Staunton, H. G. Hanstock
Primary Institution: Institute for Applied Training Science, Leipzig, Germany
Hypothesis
How did COVID-19 pandemic restrictions affect the training and performance of national-team XC skiers?
Conclusion
German XC skiers increased their training duration and improved their performance despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Supporting Evidence
- Total annual training duration increased by 9% during the pandemic year.
- Skiers achieved greater weekly training duration during lockdowns compared to control periods.
- Laboratory test and FIS racing performance improved from the 19/20 to the 20/21 season.
Takeaway
The study shows that German cross-country skiers trained more and got better during the pandemic, even with lockdowns.
Methodology
Training data were collected from training diaries and analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA and linear mixed models.
Potential Biases
Self-reported data may be subject to over- or under-reporting by athletes.
Limitations
The retrospective design may affect the accuracy of self-reported training data, and psychological wellbeing data were not collected.
Participant Demographics
12 elite XC skiers (6 female, 6 male) aged 25-27 years, competing in the FIS XC World Cup.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.001 for FIS Distance points, 0.002 for FIS Sprint points
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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