Physiology of Alpine Skiing

In alpine skiing, performance is determined by technical skills, and technical ability appears the greatest influencing factor. However, the ability to continually exhibit technical competence through each race and the long competitive season requires high physiological capabilities. The extreme environment characterized by cold and altitude makes ski racing more challenging under a physiological prospective. Thus, knowledge of the muscular forces and energy system usage in ski racing is important for future performance enhancement, injury prevention, talent identification, and training prescription.