title: Salzburg Skiing for the Elderly Study: influence of alpine skiing on aerobic capacity, strength, power, and balance.
abstract: Alpine skiing is a recreational sport with high demands on the cardiovascular and neuromuscular systems. It is assumed that skiing could have positive effects on the decline in aerobic capacity, strength, and balance ability of older individuals. In a 12-week intervention study, 47 elderly subjects (age 60-76 years) were randomized into an intervention group (IG) and a control group (CG). The IG averaged 28.5 days of guided skiing during 12 weeks. Aerobic capacity, leg power, and strength as well as postural stability were tested before, immediately after, and 10 weeks after the intervention phase. VO(2 max) improved by 7.2% from Pre to Post for the IG, without any change in the CG. Jump height increased on average by 6% over the 12 weeks for the IG, while jump height for the CG deteriorated by -11.7%. Dynamic maximal strength measured in both legs increased by 16% in the IG during the 12 weeks of skiing. In the CG, it increased by 7%, without being significant. In postural ability, no differences between groups or over time were noted. It appears that, in older individuals, 12 weeks of skiing leads to a significant increase in aerobic capacity, leg muscle power, and strength.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sport Science and Kinesiology, Christian Doppler Laboratory, Biomechanics in Skiing, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gimpl
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kirchner
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kröll
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jahnel
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Niebauer
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Niederseer
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scheiber
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007537:Isometric Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D007866:Leg / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D012865:Skiing / Q000502:physiology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric