The short-term development of performance and aerobic endurance following prolonged low-intensity ski trekking in Svalbard: A case study

• Published in: Polar Record
• Main Authors: Jarstad, Even, Mamen, Asgeir
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2022
• Subjects: General Earth and Planetary Sciences; Ecology; Geography, Planning and Development; Arctic; Svalbard; Polar Record
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247422000201; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247422000201

Abstract The purpose of this case study was to examine the short-term development of performance and aerobic endurance following prolonged low-intensity ski trekking (LIST) in an Arctic region. Two male recreational athletes (aged 24 and 26 years) with high aerobic fitness performed LIST 7 ± 2 h·day −1 for 23 consecutive days, while hauling sledges (∼80 kg initially) with supplies from the north to the south of Svalbard (∼640 km). Time to exhaustion, maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O 2max ), lactate threshold (LT) and work economy were evaluated at pre- and post-trek. The results showed that the absolute and relative exercise intensity during LIST were ∼3.9 km·h −1 and ∼60% of maximal heart rate, respectively. Time to exhaustion during a ∼4–6 min ramp walking test, and a >45 min stepwise walking test, while pulling 12.5 kg weights (simulation of ski trekking with loaded sledge), increased by 11–17% and 3–9%, respectively, following LIST. Body mass and V̇O 2max relative to body mass (ml·kg −1 ·min −1 ) decreased by 5–8% and increased by 3–8%, respectively. Furthermore, the workload associated with LT and LT percentage of V̇O 2max increased by 39–69% and 12–13%, respectively. No notable change in work economy was observed. The mean pace during LIST (∼3.9 km·h −1 ) corresponded to the treadmill walking speed (4 km·h −1 ) with the lowest oxygen cost (mL·kg −1 ·m −1 ) in both participants. It can be concluded that short-term prolonged LIST can improve ski trek-simulated performance and fractional utilisation of V̇O 2max in recreational athletes with high aerobic fitness. Moreover, highly aerobically fit ski trekkers appear to instinctively choose the most energy-efficient pace during LIST.