Ski Mountaineering as a Competitive Sport: Anthropometry, Injuries and Illnesses

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Orthopedics
• Exercise Physiology

Background:

• Ski mountaineering (skimo) is an emerging Olympic sport with limited research on competitive athlete injuries.
• Existing research primarily focuses on physiological and performance aspects, leaving injury data gaps.
• Understanding skimo-specific injuries is crucial for athlete safety and performance optimization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine anthropometric and demographic characteristics of competitive ski mountaineering athletes.
• To analyze injury and illness rates and patterns in World Cup (WC) versus recreational athletes (RA).
• To compare injury profiles between different competitive levels in ski mountaineering.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study utilizing a detailed trilingual questionnaire administered at major skimo events.
• Data collection included face-to-face and online surveys covering demographics, training, injuries, and illnesses.
• Injury classification used the Orchard Sports Injury and Illness Classification System; severity was assessed.

Main Results:

• World Cup athletes were younger, shorter, lighter, and had lower BMIs than recreational athletes.
• Higher incidence of exercise-induced bronchial asthma (16.5%) in WC athletes compared to RA (2.7%).
• Knee injuries were most common (ligaments/joint capsule), with acute injuries occurring during descents and overuse injuries during ascents. Chronic skin wounds from boots were also prevalent.

Conclusions:

• This study provides the first comprehensive data on ski mountaineering injuries and illnesses.
• High rates of respiratory issues and exercise-induced bronchospasm necessitate prophylactic measures.
• Addressing relative energy deficiency in sports, anorexia athletica, and boot-related chronic wounds is recommended.