My approach to learning and practicing in a new sport is to read as much as possible first about specific requirements and physiology of this kind. The fundamentals of any endurance sport are similar, but I love to find the details. Fortunately, there is a lot of research on the physiology of cross-country skiing. Many of them were held in Europe and Scandinavia due to the high level of popularity of this sport in this part of the world. A lot of what I read was written in English, which is very good. Something in Norwegian, which is good too. And one very useful work that I have in my hands right now is written in Danish, and this is a rather serious problem. So learning cross-country skiing had a positive effect on my language training!
What is an elite skier-racer like?
Good question. Average, world class riders at their peak from 27 to 29 years old, but there may be deviations in 4 years. This means that you can see Olympic medalists in their early 20s and 30s. One important clarification that speaks of the need for patience and perseverance: no junior has ever won Olympic Games or the World Championship. Achieving superior results takes years of preparation.
Interesting is that in cross-country skiing there is no "exemplary" physique... In sports such as swimming, distance running, rowing, the elite often look like clones. In contrast, world cross-country skiing champions vary in height from 1.68m to 2.0m. Skiers are usually low in fat, but not too much. As such, the best cross-country skiers are heavier than long-distance runners, but lighter than rowers. Women skiers more often have a lower body mass index (weight in kg divided by height squared) than women of the same age who do not play sports.
Muscle fiber composition
What's under their skin? Type I fibers predominate in the muscles of the legs, but even among the elite there are significant differences. For a normal person, the composition of fibers in the vastus lateralis (thigh muscle, which is often examined in athletes) is the ratio of fast and slow fibers will be about 50 to 50. The fast fibers will be a mixture of type IIa and IIb fibers. For professional riders, the ratio is closer to 66% (62-75% in various studies) of slow muscles and the rest - type IIa. "Pure" fast fibers of subtype IIb the well-trained skier-racer (and other endurance trainers) is virtually nonexistent. This is due to the conversion of type IIb fibers to type IIa (type IIa fibers are still "fast", but have not very high resistance to fatigue). In comparison, similar studies for long distance runners show only a slight predominance of slow fibers compared to other runners (78-79%). Perhaps the predominance of type IIa fibers is typical for race skiers. due to differences in the topography of the tracks and unstable conditions where the races take place.
Unlike running and cycling, cross-country skiing involves all limbs... Great demands on endurance are also imposed on the musculature. upper shoulder girdle including latissimus back, deltoids and triceps. Surprisingly, much less work has been done describing the muscle composition of the upper shoulder girdle in professional skiers. From what we know, the average person has more fast fibers in the muscles of the upper shoulder girdle than in the muscles of the lower body. For example, the triceps of an untrained person contain 65-80% fast fibers. Consequently, the racer must work to maximize the endurance of these commonly underutilized upper shoulder muscles. But even the best riders the proportion of slow fibers in these muscles is less than in the muscles of the legs, about 50%, as one large study showed. Some researchers have suggested that in specific muscles such as the triceps, it is better to have more fast fibers in order to move the hand faster during the "jerk" phase of the simultaneous stroke.
Skiing speed
Just like running, cross-country skiing speed depends on frequency and stride length... Increasing either one without decreasing the other will increase the speed. So what's the difference between a great rider and a mediocre rider? Good riders have longer in comparison with other steps, both in the skating course and in the classic alternating course. The faster rider is not faster because of the higher cadence. However, if we only look at the upper shoulder girdle during the simultaneous push, then there the best riders achieve more speed using more fast pace aftershocks, increasing the speed of repulsion. Finally, elite riders can do better convert potential energy into kinetic than "mere mortals". This reduces the need to change the speed of movement of body parts. For example, a classy rider makes better use of the arm extension in the initial stage of the simultaneous push with the arms.
Average speed in a World Cup race about 6-7 m / s depending on the conditions. In running with increasing distance (after 200m), there is a progressive decrease in average speed. Top marathoners run about 19% slower than 5000m runners. In contrast, the difference in average speed during a 50-kilometer classic race compared to a 10-kilometer race is of the order of 5-7%. The main reason for this retention of speed is that more long distances are selected with a smaller height difference, which allows you to develop a higher speed. Another reason is that the skier has more total glycogen available for energy production at high intensity work, throughout the entire race without reaching the limit caused by depletion of glycogen stores.
For the same reasons not easy to compare racing speeds men and women... The problem is that they often compete on different tracks. However, if we look at the Swedish Vasaloppet, then both of them run on the same track, at the same time, every year. In this race, according to physiologist Bjorn Ekblom, male winners are on average 16% faster than female winners. Other studies suggest differences of 14-15% in average speed. This difference is greater than what we've seen in running or rowing.
IPC professional riders
The only physiological component that most clearly separates the cross-country skiing champion from the average person, and even the well-trained person from the less successful rider, is VO2 max. In the unforgiving world of ski skates, there seems to be no substitute for a BIG MACHINE!
The main question in cross-country skiing research is: "What is the most appropriate way to compare BMD values for different athletes?" One way- compare the absolute consumption in l / min during the test with maximum load. This value represents the athlete's maximum ability to produce energy through aerobic metabolism, which is primarily used in cross-country skiing. If we do this, we get impressive values (5.5-6.5 L / min), but they do not account for differences in body weight. A typical solution in many endurance events is to compare numbers adjusted for body weight. For example, for a 70-kilogram skier with an IPC = 6 L, we get an adjusted figure of 85 ml / kg / min (yes, this is a lot, but for the elite it is quite common). Let's say another skier has even "more" oxygen consumption, 6.5 l / min. However, he weighs 80 kg and his VO2 max is "only" 81 ml / min / kg. Hence, the heavier skier lacks a little. The problem with this most common comparison method is this: slip conditions change every minute... The energy required to move at a given speed on a given terrain increases in proportion to the body's weight. When climbing a steep slope, excess body weight is likely a significant negative factor. On the descent, this is a plus! Given changing conditions, physics, spatial analysis, test data, etc., it turns out that the most accurate expression of IPC for cross-country skiing is obtained by dividing oxygen consumption by body weight to the power of 2/3. Ingjer showed in 1991 that the average IPC for world-class riders is significantly higher than that for less successful skiers only if it is divided by body weight to the 2/3 power, and not by body weight. (In our previous example, two skiers with IPCs of 85 and 81 ml / min / kg show almost the same values of 350 when divided by body weight to the 2/3 power.) One thing is clear. The teams with the greatest success have the skiers with the highest VO2 max.
What limits the IPC?
I have previously discussed the limiting factors of VO2 max, but some additional points will be mentioned here. There is a strong agreement in the research community that the pumping capacity of the heart (and thus oxygen delivery) limits the VO2 max in many athletes and non-athletes. However, there is a catch here. For those athletes who have really high absolute oxygen consumption values, regulated by a really high maximum cardiac output, it turns out that other links in the oxygen delivery chain become the weak link. If the rate of blood flow through the lungs is high enough, the limit is reached when oxygen-depleted blood from the right ventricle of the heart passes through the lungs before being completely oxygenated. At this point, we can say that the ability of the lungs to transmit oxygen limits overall oxygen delivery, and hence the IPC. This may be a little more than you wanted to get. The main thing is that the only determining factor among the world's elite is a very high maximum stroke volume and a high maximum cardiac output. Generally, you can assume that the guys who win Olympic medals, have MIC values of more than 6 l / min, maximum cardiac output of more than 40 l / min and a stroke volume of more than 200 ml. They may look completely normal, but they have chest an absolutely extraordinary pump is working. If you want to find the best heart, then you have to go horse racing and check out the thoroughbred racehorses!
Are today's skiers stronger than those who competed before?
Much of the increase in speed in the 90s over, say, the 60s is due to improvements to inventory, technique and route preparation, not because of the emergence of more trained and talented athletes. However, the very best are slowly but surely getting better in a physiological sense. Reasons for progress the greater the training volume and the greater the number of competitors in the distance. Here is some data on Swedish medalists in the 60s, 70s and 80s. (Ulf Bergh and Artur Fosberg, 1992).
I don't have data on Swedes in the 90s, but I spoke with some Norwegian specialists who were doing physiological testing of the Norwegian national team (which beat the Swedes in the 90s). Now in the first place is Bjorn Daly, its MIC is 90 ml / min / kg. He won the World Cup and won the Olympics. for all endurance events, there were only one or two reports of athletes whose IPC approached 90 ml / min / kg. Note that this is very, very rare, something out of the ordinary. WHAT PLANET IS HE WITH? Indurain ...... Morsely ...... Daly ...... NOT WITH OURS. AT THE TOP, the air becomes thinner and thinner!
Upper shoulder girdle in cross-country skiing.
The advancement of the body on skis requires intensive work of both hands and feet... If we are skiing at high speed, we are "asking" the heart to create a strong flow of blood in several different directions at once. Remember, if the load involves a large number of muscles (running, rowing, cycling for experienced riders), then oxygen consumption restrictions are contained in the heart and its ability to supply oxygen. Then what happens on skiing when we add maximum arm work to maximum leg work? The answer is little or nothing. Laboratory studies have shown that adding arm load to maximum leg load during the BMD test only increases oxygen consumption by a very small percentage or not at all. The cardiovascular system works at a constant limit associated with maintaining sufficient blood pressure in the system. This is very similar to what happens in an old house if you take a shower and someone turns on the faucet in the kitchen while someone else is in the toilet. Very soon, the pressure of the water in the shower weakens. To maintain the water pressure in the pipes, you must not open too many taps at the same time. The same is true for our cardiovascular "tubes". When hand work is added to foot work, blood flow to the legs immediately decreases due to compression of the arteries in the legs. It is now possible to increase blood flow to the hands. The body maintains blood pressure by controlling the degree to which each artery "opens".
When skiing, the contribution of the upper shoulder girdle to the speed of movement varies from about 10% in the classic alternating stroke to 100% in the simultaneous non-step. When lifting with a "skate" (simultaneous lift), the upper shoulder girdle contributes 50% or more of the total effort. Upper shoulder endurance has always been important to the skier. Today, with the advent of skating moves, where the intensity of hand work is high, this is even more important. Consequently, there has been a lot of research on upper shoulder endurance in elite cross country skiers and its effect on performance.
Have been developed special ergometers to measure oxygen consumption during simultaneous pushing with the arms or during alternating movements of the arms used in alternating two-step strokes. The devices ranged from a converted rowing machine to highly advanced ergometers that measured the force output and speed of each movement. ski pole when simulating "floating" leg movements. An important comparison was made between "peak oxygen consumption" achieved while pushing with sticks and VO2 max measured on a climbing track while running or roller skiing. For untrained people, the upper shoulder girdle peak oxygen consumption was only about 60% of the whole body maximum. For well-trained riders, the ratio has risen to 70-85%. Remarkably, for the elite skiers tested in Norway and Sweden (and no doubt other world-class riders from around the world), this ratio was 90% on average, and sometimes as high as 95%! I think that this is valuable information for all those of us who want to improve our results... One area where many endurance trainers are weak is upper shoulder endurance and strength. For elite skiers, an interesting picture emerges during the season. Whole body BMD peaks at the start of seasonal training. However, it appears that peak form during the competition season is associated with peak upper shoulder endurance, measured as peak upper shoulder VO2 max.
Muscle strength
Now we come to the general question: "If I train well, will it increase my endurance?" Unpublished observations by Swedish researchers (Ekblom and Berg) show that maximum leg strength only slightly more than the average person. However, when the endurance test is done in the same movement, such as 50 squats, skiers are far superior to the rest, even when compared to other endurance sports (maybe with the exception of rowers). It means that there is no connection between the maximum strength of the legs and their endurance... In practice, the best riders do little or no weighted leg exercises. For older (over 50) skiers, I would recommend a weight training program just to maintain muscle mass.
The upper shoulder girdle is quite another matter. Acceleration time to 60 m in simultaneous stepping is strongly related to the peak twisting force produced by the triceps when testing strength. Better times shown by those who has stronger hands... In addition, here in Norway we are sure in advance that even a short-term intensive strength training the upper shoulder girdle leads to an increase in its VO2 max and endurance in standard stress tests on a special ski ergometer.
I have said repeatedly that the VO2 max for the whole body bounded by heart(along with muscle endurance), no matter how much muscle and strength you have. Then how can power training improve upper shoulder endurance and peak oxygen consumption? There is a difference here. The total muscle mass of the upper shoulder girdle is not large enough to create maximum stress on the heart during high-intensity work. For example, the peak heart rate achieved in the Simultaneous Stroke Test can be 10 to 20 beats lower than when running on a treadmill for a long time. This means that under unusual conditions of endurance work only the upper shoulder girdle the limiting factor is not the heart, but the muscles. Consequently, a dedicated workout dedicated to increasing specific muscle strength AND endurance can result in more muscles being recruited while pushing with the arms at the same time or in another ski run with a lot of stress on the arms. In summer preparation the usual elite is intense workout arms such as rowing, which is added to reduce the difference in endurance between the upper and lower limbs. This is a useful lesson many veterans can learn from watching champions.
Race day
Until now, I have not mentioned two other qualities important for endurance, lactate threshold and economy of movement... In skiing, both are important, just like in other endurance sports, but the conditions in cross-country skiing are very specific on both sides. First, cross-country skiing tracks are laid on terrain that is constantly changing... Ascents, descents, flat areas, bends, etc. Consequently, an athlete almost never performs in conditions that could be called constant. All this makes the lactate threshold less significant in predicting the outcome. Secondly, unlike rowing, running or cycling technique used in cross-country skiing constantly changing during the race. This makes it impossible to simply study the economy. I would like to discuss this issue later in the context of the data obtained in competitive conditions.
Good race track will have equal proportions flat, mountainous and slopes. It is possible to estimate the energy consumption during the race by analyzing heart rate plus core body temperature and post-race lactate levels. Average load during races 5 - 30 km for best men and women is between 80 and 90% of the BMD. This is similar to what we see in running or cycling rides. However, unlike them in the race ski slopes make enormous physiological demands. Elite skiers reach their highest heart rate during every significant climb. In fact, some skiers achieve slightly higher heart rate uphill in a race than during a maximum test on a treadmill. Those. the best riders run at 100% IPC many times in a single race. Downhill Heart rate is dropping, but not as much as you might think. Even if the oxygen demand downhill is much lower, the rider doesn't get much out of it. This severe oxygen deficiency accumulated during the climb is replenished during the rapid descent, so that the heart rate can only drop by 20 beats. Then we find ourselves on the plain. The heart rate rises again, up to 10 - 15 beats below the maximum. Analysis of the World Cup races shows that the winners do their the biggest breaks on the climbs... This is why it is so important for a skier to have the largest "motor". They run uphill faster than anyone else, then descend at almost the same speed. Bjorn Daly smashes opponents on the climbs.
Lactate threshold measurements using standard laboratory methods show what to expect from the elite. The accumulation of lactic acid during the test with increasing load does not begin before the threshold of 85% of the BMD. The problem of "lactate threshold" seems to have little to do with cross-country skiing. Dr. Erik Mygind in Denmark has performed extensive tests of the best Swedish and Danish cross country skiers in laboratory and racing conditions. To provide ideal conditions , the research was conducted during the competitive season when the athletes were in good shape. This is the only reason why athletes of basic age from Sweden refused to participate. Thus, Sweden was represented by juniors of national and world level (19 years old). Migind discovered that the concentration of lactate in the blood reaches very high values for a few minutes after the start and then remains roughly constant for a 40-50 minute race. Lactate levels average around 10mM at the end of the race. One rider had this level of 14 mm after the first 2.5 km and 18 mm after finishing 10 km later! These findings are consistent with previous studies by other laboratories in the 60s and 80s.
Some might say that lactate levels rose and fell throughout the race and were only high at the time of the measurements. Unlikely because blood lactate level can't recover in such a short time, even with the most best practices active recovery. Even 7 minutes after the end of the race, lactate levels remained almost unchanged for all riders.
From this we can conclude that "speed at lactate threshold" or other indicators lactate-based are of little value when predicting short to medium races. This is not to say that increasing lactate threshold is not an important training goal for a skier. This only means that unlike the LP track and field marathon does not set a speed limit for the athlete. Winners and losers alike endure very high lactate levels during the race. The ability to race at such a high average lactic acid level may also be a result of training. One study of non-exercising skiers measured lactate levels after a 10km race and found values of only 5-7mM. In this case, measurements were not taken during the race.
Economy and technology
Now we come to another unique aspect of cross-country skiing. Exists MANY different ways go to point A from point B even on a plain: alternately two-step, simultaneously one-step, simultaneously non-step, simultaneously two-step skating, simultaneously one-step skating, two-step with swings and without swinging arms, and these are just some of the ski passes on the plain. There is no simple answer to the question of competitor differences in skiing economy.
Skate vs Classic move
The reason we now have skating races and classic in the fact that without this separation, everyone will run only "skate", classical technique will eventually disappear in many places. The "horse" is faster, clearer and simpler. Depending on the temperature and snow conditions, skating races are 5-15% faster at the same distances. In very wet snow or extreme frost, the difference in speed decreases. We can say that the skate is about 10% faster. Why? Has been nominated and tested several hypotheses:
- The "skate" allows the athlete to achieve a higher aerobic capacity compared to the "classic". In other words, perhaps it creates more performance.
- The "skate" allows you to transfer most of the work to the skis and increase the forward movement.
- The "skate" leads to a decrease in frictional resistance.
Second hypothesis may be true. On a flat area at a constant speed, a ridge ride requires 10% less oxygen compared to an alternating ride at the same speed. HR, observed effort, and lactate accumulation are lower at similar intensities when comparing skating versus alternating two-step. One explanation for this may be that the changes in limb speed are much less in skating moves. Ridge course leads to a longer period of speed development for the limbs. Reducing repetitive acceleration and deceleration of the limbs increases efficiency.
Finally, third hypothesis, lack of holding ointment on skating leads to a small but important reduction in friction and increases speed for the same applied force. Because the skating technique requires a slightly lower stance, the air resistance may also be slightly lower.
Exists exceptions to the rule that skating moves are more economical than classical ones. The classic simultaneous movement is more economical than the skating one. (Simultaneous skating is the MOST economical technique). However, since simultaneous stroke uses less muscle mass to produce work, then the muscle tension is higher and higher is the tangible effort. If the simultaneous move is the most economical, why not use it all the time? He prevents the athlete from using their maximum performance... It is ineffective to be efficient if you put out too little power! So, if the blow turns into a jerk when you climb up the climb, then the victory will go to the guy with the most powerful "motor", and the economy goes down the drain!
LEAST economical is the classic alternating two-step stroke. Hoffman and Cliffard (1990) investigated some of the physiological variables of skiing at a constant speed, using different ski runs on a flat area. Oxygen consumption was 33% higher with alternating two-step strokes compared to simultaneous strokes. classic skiing... Believe it or not, if you consider how many limb movements you need to make to achieve a given forward movement. Consequently, this technique is most often used when climbing uphill (in classic races), where it is important to distribute a high load to the greatest possible muscle mass. Skating requires about 15% more energy than simultaneous travel, but 15% less than alternating.
Can a technique decide the outcome of a race?
Of course it can. My "technique" of course did not give me any advantage during my first race (52 km) after only 3 months of skiing training! There are still significant differences in the efficiency of technology between elite and local riders at a given speed. The elite stand out technically. But who is interested in this comparison. World class riders can run without sticks and beat our results. (I saw Thomas Allschgård finish in a very important relay with one stick and a broken arm. He walked devilishly fast!). What really interests me is, "How big are the technical differences between the best skiers?" Again, this complex issue... Part of the efficiency in the race includes choice of technique for passing various sections of the route... You cannot measure this in a lab test. Some works suggest that there are national team level skiers who have no better technique than regional riders. There are quite large differences at this level. However, if you just look at world-class skiers, the discrepancies are much smaller (7% in one of the works). At this level, efficiency does not so much determine the place in the competition. Inefficient riders never make it to the international level... We again return to those who have a strong "motor". Bjorn Daly is a good example here. Those who understand this can tell you that he is without a doubt the most skilled skier-racer. Its simultaneous move is noticeable even for a beginner. And he hates sprint showdowns because that's his weakness... However, he rarely SHOULD spurt at the end of the race, and he WINS and WINS. Why? IPC 90 ml / min / kg, love of training and unquenchable thirst for competition. If you have it all, then this is ALL you need to win the World Cross-Country Championship!
cl words: sport, heart, load, muscles, nutrition, scientific, Seluyanov, book11
First of all, you need to decide what an athlete is and what a skier-racer is. If we consider the processes that unfold inside an athlete, be it a runner or a skier, then for all distances, starting with skiers from 1.5 km (conditionally) and athletes from 1500 m, the energy supply mechanism is the same.
Therefore, we must not talk about a skier or a runner, but we must talk about what ensures the achievement of the highest result in middle distance running (in skiing this is a sprint) and on stayer distances. So, it turns out that if you go to another sport altogether - cycling, then starting from a distance of 4 km (approximately equal to 1.5 km for runners), there is no difference.
V cycling, 4 km and the hour race is won by the one who wins middle distance... This athlete wins all distances without exception.
Here you need to take into account that there is one feature in cycling - athletes perform on the plain, on the track, where their own weight does not play any role. Therefore, the one who is strong for 4 km, he is strong in everything. There are great racers like Indurain, Merckx or now Lance Armstrong who win clear advantage at all distances, from the pursuit (4 km) and beyond.
If he needs to set a world record in an hour race, he will set a world record for 5 km, then 10 km, 20, 25, 50 and an hour race. As a rule, all the greats who ride break all world records, and their average speed practically does not change.
It's the same with skaters. There are no climbs, so the picture is the same as for cyclists. If there is Hayden, he wins everything from 500m to 10,000m. speed skating(as in skiing) you don't have to be a sprinter. There are, of course, pure sprinters, but they do not run more than 500 m, because they acidify so that they cannot show anything at 1000 m. And Hayden stayer.
Our Zhelezovsky is also a stayer, and he ran 500 meters, because he made fewer steps along the distance, he slowly pushed off, but very strongly. And now, when they introduced a tear-off heel, it became even clearer why force is needed. The results increased by 3 to 5 seconds, because another muscle was added - the calf.
The picture is about the same with skiers if they run on the plain. Although there are differences in the classic and skating courses, the load on the muscles is distributed differently. But in the sprint, because for skiers it is the new kind, you can immediately see that someone is losing, someone is winning, and therefore it seems that there is some kind of specialization. These differences, features, we will try to catch with an example athletics... Because everything is simpler there - legs run and run (the rest is not essential).
What is a middle distance runner? This is a person who, in terms of aerobic capabilities, is ready as a marathon runner, that is, at the ANP level, he consumes oxygen in absolute terms as much as a marathon runner. But for a marathon runner, when he runs his distance, all the oxidative muscle fibers that he has are turned on, and he has no right to turn on additional muscle fibers.
If they are, he is a bad marathon runner, a bad stayer, he has half the GMV, half the glycolytic ones, and if he runs with these GMVs, he is lucky excess weight about 6-8 kg. You cannot turn on these SMOs, it will acidify and get tired, but you can carry them on yourself. That is, a bad marathon runner is an average runner who does not have a high speed of running at 100 meters, he has a GMW, but they are slow.
Therefore, when it is necessary to run 1500 m, he also runs at the expense of oxidative MV, gradually switching on glycolytic ones, and then he has to finish at the expense of BMWs, but they are not. Therefore, the one who ran to the finish line with a stock of BMW will win. All 800 and 1500 m runners differ in that their quadriceps muscles of the thigh consume a lot of oxygen, there are only OMV, and the back of the thigh has a BMW, and they can also be oxidative.
It turns out that they are sprinters on the back of the thigh and can run 20 m on the move in less than 2 seconds (we have such a test), their running speed is like that of real sprinters, but the starting acceleration does not work, because quadriceps weak. What is middle-distance running - you need to run at a cruising speed, gradually turning on additional muscle fibers, and 150-200 meters before the finish, there must be a reserve of MV that can be connected, and they must turn out to be fast.
Any other person who does not have this will be able to add speed, but not enough to beat the born "average".
First of all, you need to decide what an athlete is and what a skier-racer is. If we consider the processes that unfold inside an athlete, be it a runner or a skier, then for all distances, starting with skiers from 1.5 km (conditionally) and athletes from 1500 m, the energy supply mechanism is the same. Therefore, we must not talk about a skier or a runner, but we must talk about what ensures the achievement of the highest result in middle distance running (in skiing this is a sprint) and on stayer distances. So, it turns out that if you go to another sport altogether - cycling, then starting from a distance of 4 km (approximately equal to 1.5 km for runners), there is no difference. In cycling, the 4 km and the hour race are won by whoever wins the middle distance. This athlete wins all distances without exception.
Here you need to take into account that there is one feature in cycling - athletes perform on the plain, on the track, where their own weight does not play any role. Therefore, the one who is strong for 4 km, he is strong in everything. There are great racers like Indurain, Merckx or now Lance Armstrong who win clear advantage at all distances from the pursuit (4 km) and beyond. If he needs to set a world record in an hour race, he will set a world record for 5 km, then 10 km, 20, 25, 50 and an hour race. As a rule, all the greats who ride break all world records, and their average speed practically does not change.
It's the same with skaters. There are no climbs, so the picture is the same as for cyclists. If there is Hayden, he wins everything from 500 m to 10,000 m. In speed skating (as in skiing) you don't have to be a sprinter. There are, of course, pure sprinters, but they do not run more than 500 m, because they acidify so that they cannot show anything at 1000 m. And Hayden stayer. Our Zhelezovsky is also a stayer, and he ran 500 meters, because he made fewer steps along the distance, he slowly pushed off, but very strongly. And now, when they introduced a tear-off heel, it became even clearer why strength is needed. The results increased by 3 to 5 seconds, because another muscle was added - the calf.
The picture is about the same with skiers if they run on the plain. Although there are differences in the classic and skating course, the load on the muscles is distributed differently. But in the sprint, since this is a new kind for skiers, it is immediately obvious that someone loses, someone wins, and therefore it seems that there is some kind of specialization. These differences, features, we will try to catch on the example of athletics. Because everything is simpler there - legs run and run (the rest is not essential).
What is a middle distance runner? This is a person who, in terms of aerobic capabilities, is ready as a marathon runner, that is, at the ANP level, he consumes oxygen in absolute terms as much as a marathon runner. But for a marathon runner, when he runs his distance, all the oxidative muscle fibers that he has are turned on, and he has no right to turn on additional muscle fibers. If they are, he is a bad marathon runner, a bad stayer, he has half of the GIW, half of the glycolytic ones, and if he runs with these SMOs, then he carries an extra weight of about 6-8 kg. You cannot turn on these SMOs, it will acidify and get tired, but you can carry them on yourself. That is, a bad marathon runner is an average runner who does not have a high speed of running at 100 meters, he has a GMW, but they are slow. Therefore, when it is necessary to run 1500 m, he also runs at the expense of oxidative MV, gradually switching on glycolytic ones, and then he has to finish at the expense of BMWs, but they are not. Therefore, the one who ran to the finish line with a stock of BMW will win. All 800 and 1500 m runners differ in that their quadriceps muscles of the thigh consume a lot of oxygen, there are only OMV, and the back of the thigh has a BMW, and they can also be oxidative. It turns out that they are sprinters on the back of the thigh and can run 20 m on the move in less than 2 seconds (we have such a test), their running speed is like that of real sprinters, but the starting acceleration does not work, because the quadriceps muscle is weak. What is middle-distance running - you need to run at a cruising speed, gradually turning on additional muscle fibers, and 150-200 meters before the finish, there must be a reserve of MV that can be connected, and they must turn out to be fast. Any other person who does not have this will be able to add speed, but not enough to beat the born "average".
Running and skiing
The question of combining running with other sports is very important. physical exercise such as skiing.
Of course, this is a wonderful sport that millions of us are involved in. The best of all winter types.
According to its physiological effect on the body, running and skiing are two interchangeable types muscle activity... The prevalence of one of them depends not only on personal sympathies, but also on climatic conditions: in the north, you can ski almost all year round, and in Ukraine, for example, a matter of days. In central Russia, you can successfully do both.
But this must be done competently and do not forget that the body is one and the effect of various loads ultimately adds up.
There are two options for combining running and skiing. The first, the most simple and natural, is skiing in winter, running in summer. What real skier racers do. True, they still do a fairly large amount of work on roller skis, but we, amateurs, do not need it at all. This option, from my point of view, has one very significant drawback: after a few winter months of interruption in running training, muscles, ligaments and joints, which carry the main load during running, are weaned from work. After all, the biomechanics of movements is different here. A long break in running training can lead to the fact that in the spring, when switching to running, complications from the motor apparatus are possible - joint pain, tendon sprains, etc.
Athletes - middle and long distance runners in winter never stop running. On the contrary, their running volume at this time of the year reaches its maximum.
It is undesirable to completely stop running in joggers. Therefore, another option is more suitable for them - both running and skiing. This is a rather complex combination, and run amateurs do not always solve this issue successfully.
Leningrader GK Nikitin wrote to us that in winter on Saturdays and Sundays he often makes long skiing trips, and then, in order to catch up and complete a week's mileage, runs 3 times a week for 1 hour. It all ends with pain in the heart, a rise blood pressure and the termination of classes.
Our men solve the issue of combining running and skiing in different ways. Sasha is a "clean" skier. He also went in for skiing in his youth, he has excellent technique, an excellent physique, broad bone... In winter, he takes a vacation and goes to a holiday home, where he goes skiing for 3 hours a day. I already wrote that he rolls up to 600 km a month. On the track, he has no equal among us. At the competitions in winter types of the TRP, Sasha ran the top ten in 37 minutes. (faster than 4 minutes per 1 km) and performed I sports category... And in summer, on the tracks of Krasny Bor, he runs 13 km in 1 hour 05 minutes. (5 minutes per 1 km) and does not stand out among us. It can be seen heavy bones and strong hands there is little help here.
Quite "uncomfortable" will feel on the track and a "clean" runner. The fact is that in sports, specialization is of decisive importance, and not general, but special endurance, and technique too, comes to the fore.
It turns out that those who have the highest VO2 max. muscle groups that carry the main load: the runner has muscles lower limbs, the skier has both legs and arms.
The rest of our guys occupy an intermediate position - they both run and ski, and they also do this not very well. Misha, for example, after an hour's run from 6 to 7 in the morning takes a little rest, and then goes skiing with Sasha for 30 km. And late in the evening - 5 "visits" to the steam room! No respect for the microcycle and my advice either. And the next day he goes to a physical training dispensary for examination and is surprised to find out that he has a bad electrocardiogram.
Yes, this question is complex and requires an individual solution. But the principle, apparently, should be one: "Skiing instead of running!" This is what Nadezhda Sh. Does, who rolls 300 km a month. Naturally, after ski training there should be a day of rest. The next lesson can be of a jogging nature, etc. Many women of our "Nadezhda" go skiing 10-20 km on Sundays in winter, and 2 other training days regularly come to the club for running classes. Anyway general principles the construction of a microcycle, the alternation of days of load and rest, should be the same as when doing "clean" running.
I belong to the "cleanest" kind of runner. I have already tried everything: the barbell, and yoga, and skis too. I tried to combine both, but the circumstances were against me. On Sunday I could not deny myself the pleasure of jogging on winter roads, and 2 times a week I went skiing, and 2 more times I ran. Total 5 training days in Week!
This is how the winter of 1975 passed. It was hard, but I somehow got used to the usual state of fatigue and tried to dismiss the thought that I was developing overtraining again - it was a pity to give up skis.
Somehow at the end of the season, on Saturday, I got out to our ski area - Readovka. There was a thaw, it was wet, sticky snow, and the track was very hard. I barely covered only 2 laps of 3 km, and I felt very bad. I barely made it home. The next day, Sunday, I, of course, could not run, and the whole next week, too.
And again I had to choose: either - or. And - for the umpteenth time - I chose to run!
The skis left me another sad souvenir.
Once, after an unsuccessful fall, I developed severe lower back pain radiating to right leg which were especially painful at night. At first, I was diagnosed with traumatic sciatica, but when they took an X-ray, it turned out that the fifth lumbar vertebra "slipped" one third anteriorly, forming a very unpleasant "bayonet". It was not a consequence of the injury, but the fall caused pain. That was the end of skiing.
However, once after that I still had to participate in ski competitions... In 1978, all the teachers of the institute had to pass the norms for the winter types of the TRP, and I did not consider it possible to refuse.
Cross-country skiing 5 km! My heart began to beat: after all, we, Smolensk joggers, have never participated in real competitions. And I decided not to lose my face in the mud: our teachers and students knew that I was a "runner". And here is the general start. I rushed forward and immediately fell - I hadn't been skiing for 3 years! I walk in the tail (a chain of about twenty people) very slowly, but I can't get around from the side - I tried it, I fell down to my waist. So I suffered for two kilometers. And now the ascent, the ski track disappeared, a wide, "bald" hillock. I run, as I used to, the skis dangle absurdly, it is difficult, but at the same time I go around ten people. I take out another chain of five people, the track, of course, no one gives in, I somehow go around them from the side. The skis are moving apart, they go crosswise, five times I have already fallen. I feel there is strength, but I cannot put it where it is needed - in skis, in sticks, everything "falls through" somewhere by. Evil is not enough. What does technology mean! My students-skiers cheer for me, run alongside, give advice, offer to replace sticks - wherever there, hands are squeezed in a death grip, I just shake my head. There is 1 km left, the finish is coming soon, but I just accelerated. What does 5 km mean for a marathon runner ?! The last effort is ahead, about 30 meters away, our dean, Gennady Fomin, would get around, win!
The guys shout, cheer, but no - a farewell "somersault" just before the finish line - sticks on the right, skis on the left, and I'm in a snowdrift. Laughter at the finish line! But overall - great! I am in the top ten, seventh, and not from the end "like a marathon! I am congratulated, still - the unfortunate physiologist is ahead of many athletes. That's what running means! And if I also had a technique ?!
After the finish, a girl, our student skier, comes up to me and says: "Evgeny Grigorievich, if you were skiing, you could turn out to be a real racer." The biggest compliment I've ever heard in my life.
And one more, last, story related to skiing.
March 13, 1982 Again ski race 5 km! Despite the fact that after those ill-fated competitions 4 years had already passed, I very well remembered my helplessness. No, that's enough for me, I can't survive this a second time! But two days before the start, a letter comes from Leningrad from Alexander Kovalenko, which led me, to put it mildly, to an interesting idea - to run the distance not on skis, but in sneakers! I was told that the track is solid and the snow does not fall through, and I decided to take a chance. Can you imagine what a commotion arose among ours ?! Milner is crazy - in fact, nothing else can be invented!
I wonder how this extravagant undertaking will end? ..
Where have you been? my mother asked me when I returned home late at night.
Finishing the chapter on skiing!
I explained everything to her and then rushed to the table in order to quickly pour everything on paper, not to miss anything. There is a whirlpool in my head, everything revolves, as in a kaleidoscope. No matter how hard I tried, I could not imagine how I alone would be running in the snow in sneakers, and everyone was skiing. And now, sitting at the table 2 hours after the finish, it is difficult for me to remember exactly how it all was.
A mosaic of colors, everything is very festive, colorful flags, costumes, music, vanity, confusion. I am wearing a blue T-shirt with my starting number (1406), under which I performed at the S.P.Korolev memorial, dark blue tights, a scarlet cap and the same sneakers. It is very beautiful against the background of white snow. But beautiful shape It didn't help me: everything was going very badly, one might think that a whole dozen black cats crossed my path.
Surprise number one. I went up to the chief judge of the competition, Associate Professor EG Terekhin.
Evgeny Grigorievich (we are complete "namesakes"), I want to run under my starting number and in sneakers.
It is impossible, there must be at least one ski and our number! And in general it is inconvenient - this is the Institute of Physical Education!
But I'm a runner, Evgeny Grigorievich, and I can't overcome skiing equipment, but I want to run, because it's a holiday. Allow me, please!
Okay, run, just not on the track. And we will not count the result anyway.
Surprise number two: in the morning the sun is shining brightly, the temperature is + 2 °, the track is completely sour. Our student skiers drive up to me and maintain the track.
Evgeny Grigorievich, today everything is wrong, give up this venture, you can't go without skis!
I'm depressed. Okay, I think that it will be, it will be, anyway I'm out of the set. And one more surprise - the start is not common, like the last time, but in pairs, with an interval of 30 seconds! I will be "crushed", "erased", and I will not have an idea where I am and how to control the pace! And no one knows where my old friend Gennady Fomin is! And you will have to bind their start number on top, otherwise they will not "start" me!
And finally, the last trouble - I manage to be late by the time of the start! I continuously ran back and forth along the track to calm down and estimate the speed of the starting skiers. I have number 47, and my partner, associate professor of our department Eduard G. - 48.
And suddenly I saw: number 46 was flying right at me, and Eduard was already standing on the start line and desperately waving at me. I am a hundred meters away from him, I have just accelerated uphill and calmly descend to the starting point, confident that I have five more minutes in reserve. I rush headlong towards him, tearing off my ski jacket (number underneath it!) Along with my hat. I was late anyway - Eduard is already racing down the track, and I just slap the starting judge on the shoulder! At the launch site there is a good, strong crust and immediately a gentle rise of 300 meters. I quickly catch up with Edward - I can't run alone! - and run next to him, to the left of the track. I feel that I can withstand such a pace, but I already had time to suffocate, to choke - I "grabbed" it when I was in a hurry to the starting point and did not have time to catch my breath. A hot iron burns in my chest - I've never run so fast. My head is spinning, I have a poor understanding of what is happening.
A slight descent begins and then an ascent. I notice with surprise that Edward is not around - he is behind! Gradually I come to my senses, I try to run easily, to be drawn into an even, usual pace. But running is still difficult - I am already ankle-deep in the viscous mass of snow. Several figures of skiers are swarming on the rise, I got them out and walked around quite quickly - it can be seen that their skis give a lot. And suddenly I fall, fall waist-deep into the snow. Everything has begun! I can no longer run to the side of the ski track - loose, deep snow. I press close to the track and grab the left edge - I have nothing else to do. Anyway, I fall through every 5-10 m. Yes, I won't last long like that. You had to think, you were warned! I am somewhere at the end of the third kilometer, it makes no sense to go back. First, second control. The guys goggle.
Are your skis broken ?!
Write, - I shout, - 47, none of your business!
It is strange that no one is overtaking me - only one Ivan Ya., A skier, has passed, but God told him to! This gives me the strength for the finishing shot. There is only 1 km left, a whole group of our students is standing on the hill, they shout and cheer.
Everything is fine, but I can no longer run to the side of the track - there is a limit to everything. I was not, I go to the ski track, collect my last strength and start to finish.
The track does not fail. Is there really such a solid, excellent ground and you can run so easily ?! Only a small trace remains, no big deal, I will be forgiven! Gentle descent, strong dash, finish! The dean, Gennady F., meets me and congratulates me, but I don’t know if I won or lost. I'm waiting for the result, but they don't announce my time - they didn't count it all the same! They are right: rules are rules, I didn't have skiing ... Okay, we'll get over it, I'm almost not upset.
And here comes Eduard G. - 27 minutes. 30 sec.! I have already managed to catch my breath, talk to the guys, change clothes. Three or four minutes passed after my finish, no less.
I come over, congratulations. He is completely blue, like my leotards, he cannot speak, apparently, he had to be even worse than me.
But in the previous race 4 years ago he was third and won about five minutes from me.
Well, now everything is in order, I was running, apparently, I was not in vain! And tomorrow, Sunday, of course, I will run my 27 km along the Road of Life with the guys.
I am writing these lines at the end of March, the sun is shining, the rooks are screaming - spring is on the doorstep. On February 28, the All-Union Day of the Skier was held, almost the entire working population of the country went to the start. Yes, skis are very popular with us. But the newspaper "Soviet Sport" asks a quite reasonable question: "The snow is melting, what are you going to do next, dear comrades?" In my opinion, there can be only one answer: "It's time to put on your sneakers!" And my heart sings.
From the book How not to break your neck author Sofiev NizamiWater skiing Water skiing extreme view sports were not considered, although the same wakeboard that grew out of them, they will give a hundred points ahead in the complexity and danger of the execution of the elements. The skiing speed is higher, and the number of different cool elements is greater, for example,
From the book I choose to run! the author Milner Evgeny Grigorievich From the author's book From the author's book2.3.5. Using the inside ski Active use of the inside ski is important element modern technology... If arc guidance with the internal ski was previously used only in downhill skiing, now it is one of the key aspects.
From the author's bookChapter 1. Boxing, skiing or running? Often the fate of a person depends on chance. It was precisely the case that decided the fate of the foreman of the second article of the Navy, Vladimir Petrovich Kuts, who passed a valid military service at one of the coastal defense bases in the Baltic.
From the author's bookRunning and Skiing The question of combining running with other types of exercise, such as skiing, is very important, and of course it is a wonderful sport that millions of us are involved in. The best of all winter sports. In terms of its physiological effect on the body, running and
First of all, you need to decide what an athlete is and what a skier-racer is. If we consider the processes that unfold inside an athlete, be it a runner or a skier, then for all distances, starting with skiers from 1.5 km (conditionally) and athletes from 1500 m, the energy supply mechanism is the same. Therefore, we must not talk about a skier or a runner, but we must talk about what ensures the achievement of the highest result in middle distance running (in skiing this is a sprint) and on stayer distances. So, it turns out that if you go to another sport altogether - cycling, then starting from a distance of 4 km (approximately equal to 1.5 km for runners), there is no difference. In cycling, the 4 km and the hour race are won by whoever wins the middle distance. This athlete wins all distances without exception.
Here you need to take into account that there is one feature in cycling - athletes perform on the plain, on the track, where their own weight does not play any role. Therefore, the one who is strong for 4 km, he is strong in everything. There are great racers like Indurain, Merckx or now Lance Armstrong who win clear advantage at all distances from the pursuit (4 km) and beyond. If he needs to set a world record in an hour race, he will set a world record for 5 km, then 10 km, 20, 25, 50 and an hour race. As a rule, all the greats who ride break all world records, and their average speed practically does not change.
It's the same with skaters. There are no climbs, so the picture is the same as for cyclists. If there is Hayden, he wins everything from 500 m to 10,000 m. In speed skating (as in skiing) you don't have to be a sprinter. There are, of course, pure sprinters, but they do not run more than 500 m, because they acidify so that they cannot show anything at 1000 m. And Hayden stayer. Our Zhelezovsky is also a stayer, and he ran 500 meters, because he made fewer steps along the distance, he slowly pushed off, but very strongly. And now, when they introduced a tear-off heel, it became even clearer why strength is needed. The results increased by 3 to 5 seconds, because another muscle was added - the calf.
The picture is about the same with skiers if they run on the plain. Although there are differences in the classic and skating course, the load on the muscles is distributed differently. But in the sprint, since this is a new kind for skiers, it is immediately obvious that someone loses, someone wins, and therefore it seems that there is some kind of specialization. These differences, features, we will try to catch on the example of athletics. Because everything is simpler there - legs run and run (the rest is not essential).
What is a middle distance runner? This is a person who, in terms of aerobic capabilities, is ready as a marathon runner, that is, at the ANP level, he consumes oxygen in absolute terms as much as a marathon runner. But for a marathon runner, when he runs his distance, all the oxidative muscle fibers that he has are turned on, and he has no right to turn on additional muscle fibers. If they are, he is a bad marathon runner, a bad stayer, he has half of the GIW, half of the glycolytic ones, and if he runs with these SMOs, then he carries an extra weight of about 6-8 kg. You cannot turn on these SMOs, it will acidify and get tired, but you can carry them on yourself. That is, a bad marathon runner is an average runner who does not have a high speed of running at 100 meters, he has a GMW, but they are slow. Therefore, when it is necessary to run 1500 m, he also runs at the expense of oxidative MV, gradually switching on glycolytic ones, and then he has to finish at the expense of BMWs, but they are not. Therefore, the one who ran to the finish line with a stock of BMW will win. All 800 and 1500 m runners differ in that their quadriceps muscles of the thigh consume a lot of oxygen, there are only OMV, and the back of the thigh has a BMW, and they can also be oxidative. It turns out that they are sprinters on the back of the thigh and can run 20 m on the move in less than 2 seconds (we have such a test), their running speed is like that of real sprinters, but the starting acceleration does not work, because the quadriceps muscle is weak. What is middle-distance running - you need to run at a cruising speed, gradually turning on additional muscle fibers, and 150-200 meters before the finish, there must be a reserve of MV that can be connected, and they must turn out to be fast. Any other person who does not have this will be able to add speed, but not enough to beat the born "average".
Classification of muscle fibers. Change in muscle composition under the influence of training
Now let's dwell in more detail on the classification of muscle fibers. The first way is on fast muscle fibers (BMF) and slow muscle fibers (MMF), this classification is based on the enzyme ATPase of myofibrils (contractile elements), the type of which can be fast or slow. Hence the rapidly decreasing and slowly decreasing MVs. The ratio of fast and slow fibers is determined by hereditary information, and we practically cannot change it.
The second method is the division of CF into oxidative and glycolytic ones, and they are no longer divided by the myofibril, but by the number of mitochondria (cell structures where oxygen is consumed). If there are mitochondria, then CF are oxidative, few or almost no mitochondria are glycolytic. The ability of CF to glycolysis is also inherited and is determined by the amount of glycolytic-type enzymes. But the number of mitochondria changes quite easily under the influence of training. And with an increase in the number of mitochondria, MV, which was glycolytic, becomes oxidative.
Unfortunately, there is confusion on this issue. Usually both classifications are mixed. They talk about slow, and mean oxidative, mix glycolytic and fast. In fact, slow ones can also be glycolytic, although this option is not described in the literature. But we know that if a person is in the hospital for the preoperative period, and then also for the postoperative period, then later he cannot get up, cannot walk. The first reason is that coordination is impaired, and the second reason is that the muscles go away. And most importantly, first of all, mitochondria leave the IIM (their "half-life" is only 20-24 days). If a person has been lying for 50 days, then almost nothing will remain of mitochondria, CF will turn into slow glycolytic ones, since slow or fast ones are inherited, and mitochondria are created. (Fast MV at correct training can also become oxidative).
Therefore, from the point of view training process This athlete is not interested in the division of MV into slow and fast - this is important at the selection stage. The whole logic of building a training is not from the point of view of muscle contraction in terms of speed, but is aimed at converting SMVs into oxidative ones. For in this case, we change a specific person.
The goal of training in cyclic sports is to build mitochondria. Only mitochondria consume oxygen, which means that athletic form grows as mitochondria accumulate. Take muscle fiber. It has myofibrils, each myofibril is entwined with mitochondria, and more than a certain limit, they cannot form, only in one layer, so to speak. In the end, these CFs accumulate so many mitochondria that they cannot add anything else. IIMs quickly reach the limit of preparedness, and then the whole process of growth sports uniform goes through what we turn glycolytic into oxidative. (Low-threshold MVs are oxidative because they constantly work at any intensities with the maximum power for them). We stop training or, for example, start low-threshold training, then high-threshold mitochondria lose. The whole point of recruiting athletic form is to recruit mitochondria in the MV of high-threshold motor units, there is no other way. Everyone is doing just that, but thinking about interval training and something else, that is, about formality. And the essence of training is to change the content of muscle fibers, that is, add mitochondria.
So you start to train properly and gain mitochondria more, more and more, the muscles go from glycolytic to oxidative, that is, with an abundance of mitochondria. And when all muscle fibers become oxidative - this is the limit of sports form, nothing else will work. There is one trick here, though. The fact is that oxidative fibers consume only fats (as long as there is a reserve of fats), and power is lost during fat oxidation. Hence, a certain paradox turns out - it is not necessary to do so that the muscles are only oxidizing, you need to leave a little glycolytic, otherwise you will run on fats, and the power of functioning on fats is less by about 15%. Then the same muscles will work more powerfully. It is clear that by skiing this also applies.