Associations Between Physiological Determinants and GNSS-Derived Technical Characteristics in Cross-Country Roller Skiing

This study aimed to examine how physiological determinants are associated with skiing technique and race performance in cross-country roller skiing by integrating motion data obtained via a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) with laboratory-based physiological assessments. Nineteen well-trained male skiers completed a 10 km roller ski race, during which skiing velocity, cycle length, cycle time, and sub-technique usage were measured using GNSS. Whole-body and upper-body endurance and power were evaluated on the treadmill and ski ergometer. Time to exhaustion during the double poling test (r = -0.84, <i>p</i> < 0.01) and VO_2max from the pole walk and run test (r = -0.72, <i>p</i> < 0.01) were the strongest predictors of race performance, and both were significantly associated with skiing velocity (VO_2max: r = 0.79, <i>p</i> < 0.01; TTE-DPT: r = 0.81, <i>p</i> < 0.01) and cycle length (VO_2max: r = 0.58, <i>p</i> < 0.01; TTE-DPT: r = 0.47, <i>p</i> < 0.05) in the most frequently used technique. These findings suggest that the development of both whole-body and upper-body endurance plays a crucial role in improving technical efficiency and race performances.