Some technical, physiological and anthropometrical aspects of speed skating

Five elite speed skaters and fourteen well trained skaters of a lower performance level performed three maximal tests: a 3,000 m race from which the skating position and the stroke frequency were derived, an oxygen consumption test both during skating and during a bicycle ergometer test. From all subjects anthropometric measures were taken. The elite group showed a VO2 during cycling of 64.4 +/- 3.5 ml . kg-1 . min-1 and 59.4 +/- 3.7 ml . kg-1 . min-1 during skating. The elite skaters showed: a shorter upper leg length with respect to total leg length, higher aerobic power during cycling, higher stroke frequency, smaller pre-extension knee angle coupled to higher work per stroke, higher "efficiency" during skating and higher external power during skating and during cycling when compared with the group of lower performance level. It is concluded that an important pre-requisite for speed skating appears to be the possibility to skate at a small pre-extension knee angle without an excessive claim to anaerobic metabolism.