Author(s): CAI, X., MAO, L.2, CHEN, X.3, Institution: NANJING NORMAL UNIVERSITY, Country: CHINA, Abstract-ID: 1255

INTRODUCTION:
Polarized training model could improve endurance performance of elite endurance athletes, and being used widely on modern cross-country (XC) skiing training [1,2]. In XC skiing competition, the short distance skiing competition demanding athletes need be both strong physiologically and tactically [3]. Aiming for XC skiing success at the Winter Olympic Games (WOG), China has developed a talent transfer program in which athletes from various summer sports by utilizing world class coaching and training methods [4]. However, the effects of long period polarized training on the capability of short-distance sprint skiing of elite male talent-transferring XC skiers are not clear.
METHODS:
10 elite male talent-transferring XC skiers [Age: (19.9±1.4) years old; Height: (178.5±4.3) cm; Weight: (70.0±5.6) kg; VO2peak: (78.8±6.1) ml·min-1·kg-1] of Chinese national XC skiing team took part in 10 weeks polarized training. 3 times XC short-distance sprint competition (the 1st, 6th and 10th week) and 3 times skiing-ergometer & watt-bike testing [the 1st (Week 3), 2nd (Week 4) and 3rd (Week 8) test] were organized during the 10 weeks training period. Training time and intensity were calculated on basis of recordings from heart rate (HR) monitors (Garmin 255, Garmin Ltd., USA) during 10 weeks training. Repeated-measures ANOVA test was used to compare athletes themselves between tests or competitions (the 1st test / Week 1 competitions, the 2nd test / Week 6 competitions, the 3rd test / Week 10 competitions). Significance was set at P＜0.05.
RESULTS:
Compared with the 1st test, the athletes’ 5 groups average power output per kilogram of the 1.5 min and 1 min skiing-ergometer test were increased significantly (3.4%, 6.0% respectively; P＜0.05) in the 3rd test. Compared with the competition results of the free technique and classic technique of the 1st week, the athletes’ average time of qualification and quarter final were decreased significantly both in the Week 6 and Week 10 (Week 6, free 3.7%\3.9%, classic 1.0%\1.4%; Week 10, free 4.8%\3.8%. classic 1.8%/1.4%; P＜0.05).
CONCLUSION:
After 10 weeks polarized training, the athletes’ capability of XC skiing-specific power output and competition performance of short-distance sprint skiing were increased significantly. In the future training, it is suggested that Chinese elite talent transferring XC skiers should add the running formed high intensity training (HIT) into training schedule, and insistent systematical XC skiing specific strength training and skiing-ergometer formed HIT sessions, to improve the capability of maximal oxygen uptake, continuously power output under high intensity, XC skiing specific strength and XC skiing specific power output.

1. Billat et al. (2001) 2. Sandbakk et al. (2017) 3. Sandbakk & Holmberg (2011) 4. Cai et al. (2021)