Sex Differences in Double Poling Performance: The Role of Upper-Body Strength and Endurance in Youth Elite Cross-Country Skiers and Biathletes

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Sex Differences in Double Poling Performance: The Role of Upper-Body Strength and Endurance in Youth Elite Cross-Country Skiers and Biathletes. / Wagner, Carl Maximilian; Osborne, John Owen; Sandbakk, Øyvind et al.
In: European Journal of Sport Science, Vol. 25, No. 4, e12253, 04.2025.

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@article{d1aa78b2f8034d48a4f74ec3b1791e77,
title = "Sex Differences in Double Poling Performance: The Role of Upper-Body Strength and Endurance in Youth Elite Cross-Country Skiers and Biathletes",
abstract = "The study aimed to investigate sex differences in double poling (DP) ergometer performance among youth elite cross-country skiers and biathletes and determine if these sex differences may be explained by upper-body strength and endurance capacities. Thirteen female and nine male youth elite cross-country skiers and biathletes (age: 16.7 ± 1.7 years; VO2max: 60.7 ± 6.3 mL·kg−1 min−1), matched for relative performance, completed a test battery evaluating upper-body strength and power along with various endurance parameters on a DP ergometer. Testing included one-repetition maximum (1RM) in upper-body exercises, maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) running test, and DP ergometer incremental test to exhaustion and sprint tests to determine peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak-DP), maximal lactate accumulation rate (vLamax), and power. Body mass and body composition were measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis. The findings demonstrated that the absolute differences in maximal strength, peak, and mean DP power outputs from both sprint and incremental tests to exhaustion (29%–38% difference), as well as maximal and peak oxygen uptake (29%–31%) between male and female athletes, were considerably reduced (2%–12%) following normalization to fat-free mass (FFM). Correlations of absolute and FFM normalized VO2max, VO2peak-DP with peak and mean power output from both sprint and incremental test to exhaustion during DP ergometry were significant (rxy = 0.69–0.87) and remained consistent after correction for sex (rxy-z = 0.61–0.84). These findings suggest that sex performance differences are primarily attributable to absolute differences in maximal aerobic power, maximal strength, and FFM.",
keywords = "adolescents, endurance performance, fat-free mass, maximal strength, power, vlamax, Physical education and sports",
author = "Wagner, {Carl Maximilian} and Osborne, {John Owen} and {\O}yvind Sandbakk and Stephan Schiemann and Daniel R{\"o}hrs and Tobias Schmidt and Michael Keiner",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 The Author(s). European Journal of Sport Science published by Wiley-VCH GmbH on behalf of European College of Sport Science.",
year = "2025",
month = apr,
doi = "10.1002/ejsc.12253",
language = "English",
volume = "25",
journal = "European Journal of Sport Science",
issn = "1746-1391",
publisher = "John Wiley & Sons Inc.",
number = "4",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Sex Differences in Double Poling Performance

T2 - The Role of Upper-Body Strength and Endurance in Youth Elite Cross-Country Skiers and Biathletes

AU - Wagner, Carl Maximilian

AU - Osborne, John Owen

AU - Sandbakk, Øyvind

AU - Schiemann, Stephan

AU - Röhrs, Daniel

AU - Schmidt, Tobias

AU - Keiner, Michael

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s). European Journal of Sport Science published by Wiley-VCH GmbH on behalf of European College of Sport Science.

PY - 2025/4

Y1 - 2025/4

N2 - The study aimed to investigate sex differences in double poling (DP) ergometer performance among youth elite cross-country skiers and biathletes and determine if these sex differences may be explained by upper-body strength and endurance capacities. Thirteen female and nine male youth elite cross-country skiers and biathletes (age: 16.7 ± 1.7 years; VO2max: 60.7 ± 6.3 mL·kg−1 min−1), matched for relative performance, completed a test battery evaluating upper-body strength and power along with various endurance parameters on a DP ergometer. Testing included one-repetition maximum (1RM) in upper-body exercises, maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) running test, and DP ergometer incremental test to exhaustion and sprint tests to determine peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak-DP), maximal lactate accumulation rate (vLamax), and power. Body mass and body composition were measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis. The findings demonstrated that the absolute differences in maximal strength, peak, and mean DP power outputs from both sprint and incremental tests to exhaustion (29%–38% difference), as well as maximal and peak oxygen uptake (29%–31%) between male and female athletes, were considerably reduced (2%–12%) following normalization to fat-free mass (FFM). Correlations of absolute and FFM normalized VO2max, VO2peak-DP with peak and mean power output from both sprint and incremental test to exhaustion during DP ergometry were significant (rxy = 0.69–0.87) and remained consistent after correction for sex (rxy-z = 0.61–0.84). These findings suggest that sex performance differences are primarily attributable to absolute differences in maximal aerobic power, maximal strength, and FFM.

AB - The study aimed to investigate sex differences in double poling (DP) ergometer performance among youth elite cross-country skiers and biathletes and determine if these sex differences may be explained by upper-body strength and endurance capacities. Thirteen female and nine male youth elite cross-country skiers and biathletes (age: 16.7 ± 1.7 years; VO2max: 60.7 ± 6.3 mL·kg−1 min−1), matched for relative performance, completed a test battery evaluating upper-body strength and power along with various endurance parameters on a DP ergometer. Testing included one-repetition maximum (1RM) in upper-body exercises, maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) running test, and DP ergometer incremental test to exhaustion and sprint tests to determine peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak-DP), maximal lactate accumulation rate (vLamax), and power. Body mass and body composition were measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis. The findings demonstrated that the absolute differences in maximal strength, peak, and mean DP power outputs from both sprint and incremental tests to exhaustion (29%–38% difference), as well as maximal and peak oxygen uptake (29%–31%) between male and female athletes, were considerably reduced (2%–12%) following normalization to fat-free mass (FFM). Correlations of absolute and FFM normalized VO2max, VO2peak-DP with peak and mean power output from both sprint and incremental test to exhaustion during DP ergometry were significant (rxy = 0.69–0.87) and remained consistent after correction for sex (rxy-z = 0.61–0.84). These findings suggest that sex performance differences are primarily attributable to absolute differences in maximal aerobic power, maximal strength, and FFM.

KW - adolescents

KW - endurance performance

KW - fat-free mass

KW - maximal strength

KW - power

KW - vlamax

KW - Physical education and sports

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105000866049&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1002/ejsc.12253

DO - 10.1002/ejsc.12253

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 40108479

AN - SCOPUS:105000866049

VL - 25

JO - European Journal of Sport Science

JF - European Journal of Sport Science

SN - 1746-1391

IS - 4

M1 - e12253

ER -

DOI