The ACA Fitness Combine aims to implement a system-wide standardized testing protocol to ensure that Canadian skiers develop ski-specific physical fitness abilities as they progress through the athlete development pathway, while tracking their progression.
Purpose
The development of general physical fitness is essential for elite ski racers. Physical literacy, which involves establishing efficient fundamental movement patterns in coordination across various situations, along with developing general strength, power, and endurance, is a vital neuromuscular and physiological capacity required at the elite level.
An athlete's fitness level will either support or hinder the development of technical skills, significantly affecting their ability to handle the training volumes required at different stages of growth.
Analysis and research have shown that the following physical fitness factors are characteristic of top ski racers:
- Good aerobic work capacity (high maximal oxygen uptake / VO2Max)
- Excellent muscular strength in dynamic muscle function
- Notably improved muscular endurance during submaximal work
- Well-developed muscular coordination
Assessing and quantifying these qualities can help identify potential performance issues and monitor long-term trends. This document offers an overview of Alpine Canada Alpine's (ACA) nationwide physical fitness combined protocol. As ACA gathers data and establishes normative trends for each gender and developmental stage, the ACA Fitness Combine will highlight target areas for future development to support the advancement of successful elite-level ski racers.
There may be situations where teams have access to more advanced testing methods. This nationwide physical fitness combined program does not prevent the addition of extra testing. Instead, it provides guidelines for evaluating physical performance standards tailored to ski racing for all ski racers in the development pathway. A coach can use the data collected from each test to more accurately identify an athlete's starting point within their developmental and physical fitness stages and monitor progress through re-evaluation. This will support the creation of a customised training program that aligns with the athlete's needs within the context of their sport, ski racing, and matches their capabilities.
The ACA Fitness Combine protocol represents a significant advancement in Canadian alpine ski racing. Implementing standardized physical fitness testing at various levels of development helps create a unified pathway. A development pathway is not just a series of separate stages as a skier progresses from regional to international competition. Instead, it should be a continuous effort by all involved to offer a fun, cohesive, and exciting experience for all athletes.
Citations
- Gilgien, Matthias & Reid, Robert & Raschner, Christian & Supej, Matej & Holmberg, Hans-Christer. (2018). The Training of Olympic Alpine Ski Racers. Frontiers in Physiology. 9. 10.3389/fphys.2018.01772.
- Lloyd RS, Cronin JB, Faigenbaum AD, Haff GG, Howard R, Kraemer WJ, Micheli LJ, Myer GD, Oliver JL. (2016) National Strength and Conditioning Association Position Statement on Long-Term Athletic Development. J Strength Cond Res. 2016 Jun;30(6):1491-509. https://www.nsca.com/education/articles/NSCA_Position_Statement_on_LTAD/
- Pritchard, J and Taylor, J. The Science of Alpine Ski Racing. New York, NY: Routledge (2023).
- R Turnbull, J & Kilding, Andrew & Keogh, Justin. (2009). Physiology of alpine skiing. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. 19. 146-55. 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2009.00901.x.