The Training of Olympic Alpine Ski Racers

Abstract

Alpine combined was the only alpine ski racing event at the first Winter Olympic Games in 1936, but since then, slalom, giant slalom, super-G, downhill, and team events have also become Olympic events. Substantial improvements in slope preparation, design of courses, equipment, and the skills of Olympic alpine skiers have all helped this sport attain its present significance. Improved snow preparation has resulted in harder surfaces and improved equipment allows a more direct interaction between the skier and snow. At the same time, courses have become more challenging, with technical disciplines requiring more pronounced patterns of loading – unloading, with greater ground reaction forces. Athletes have adapted their training to meet these new demands, but little is presently known about these adaptations. Here, we describe how Olympic athletes from four of the major alpine ski racing nations prepared for the Olympic Games in South Korea in 2018. This overview describes their typical exercise programs with respect to physical conditioning, ski training and periodization, based on interviews with the coaching staff. Alpine ski racing requires mastery of a broad spectrum of physical, technical, mental, and social skills. We describe how athletes and teams deal with the multifactorial nature of the training required. Special emphasis is placed on sport-specific aspects, such as the combination of stimuli that interfere with training, training with chronic injury, training at altitude and in cold regions, the efficiency and effectiveness of ski training and testing, logistic challenges and their effects on fatigue, including the stress of frequent traveling. Our overall goal was to present as complete a picture of the training undertaken by Olympic alpine skiers as possible and on the basis of these findings propose how training for alpine ski racing might be improved.

Recording injuries only during winter competitive season underestimates injury incidence in elite alpine skiers

“…It should be acknowledged that the WCS include both ski training and competition. Indeed, a similar number of ski training days has been suggested during the preparation (summer) and competition (winter) periods with approximately 30 days per discipline per period, representing around 60 days per skier depending on their specialties during both the training and competition periods 13 . Skiers have however more pressure during competition than training and show different coping strategies with the stressors encountered.…”

“…Conversely, only 4% of all injuries were recorded during off‐snow training, 12 likely due to the fact that data were obtained retrospectively from the WCS only, neglecting 6 months of the summer off‐season (SOS) and overuse injuries 10,11 . In addition, it should be acknowledged that SOS also includes on‐snow training (glaciers and Southern hemisphere) along with intense strength and conditioning 13 . As much as 23 160 turns during ski training have been reported in the preparation period vs 10 744 turns in the competition period for technical events 13 …”

“…In addition, it should be acknowledged that SOS also includes on‐snow training (glaciers and Southern hemisphere) along with intense strength and conditioning 13 . As much as 23 160 turns during ski training have been reported in the preparation period vs 10 744 turns in the competition period for technical events 13 …”

Overuse injuries in the knee, back and hip of top elite female alpine skiers during the off-season preparation period: prevalence, severity and their association with traumatic preinjuries and training load

“…9 During this particular period, intensive physical conditioning combined with extensive amounts of on-snow training are typical. 12 In contrast, during the competition period, training intensities are much lower (physical preservation training) and skiing is more quality than quantity orientated (only 2-3 runs a day). 12 Accordingly, it seems plausible that the overall load on to the musculoskeletal system is higher during off-season preparation and that this could explain why the overuse injury risk during this period is the highest of the entire year.…”

“…[9][10][11] This period starts with the first joint on-snow team training beginning of July on the glaciers and ends with the qualification runs in the forefront of the World Cup season opening beginning of October. During that time, intensive physical conditioning combined with extensive amounts of on-snow training are typical (approximately 10-14 training sessions for a total of 14-21 hour per week with major emphasis on aerobic capacity (intervals), maximal/explosive strength training and volume-orientated ski training), 12 and skiers' risk for overuse injuries is the highest of the entire year. 11 What are the new findings ► Top female elite alpine skiers suffer from a remarkably high number of knee-related, back-related and hip-related overuse complaints during the offseason preparation period, in which intensive physical conditioning combined with extensive amounts of ski training are typical.…”