Lactate Threshold Testing In Collegiate Nordic Skiers: Pilot Study

Background and/or Objectives: Lactate threshold (LT) is a key marker of endurance performance, signifying the transition from aerobic to anaerobic energy production. In Nordic skiing, sport-specific LT testing can inform training. Traditional treadmill protocols lack movement specificity, whereas the SkiErg better replicates the upper-body poling mechanics of Nordic skiing. This pilot study examines the feasibility of SkiErg-based LT testing for female collegiate Nordic skiers as a structured method for evaluating LT as a physiological performance marker.

Design: Concurrent validation study

Setting : Performance facility using a SkiErg

Participants : Four Female Nordic skiers

Interventions: Participants completed a progressive workload SkiErg LT protocol, with lactate levels measured via finger-prick blood sampling at baseline and incremental 3x five-minute, 1x4-minute, and 1x3-minute intervals. Additional data included Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) and heart rate (HR).

Main Outcome Measures: Lactate threshold determination (≥4 mmol/L inflection point), time to LT threshold (minutes), power output at LT threshold, and correlation between performance metrics and LT.

Results: All participants reached LT, with an average threshold time of 13.3 ± 1.6 minutes (range: 12–20 minutes). Lactate levels increased, peaking at ≥10 mmol/L. LT was not significantly correlated with performance (R² = -0.8802, p = 0.120), but this is likely due to low sample size due to the high correlation value.

Conclusions: Despite the lack of significance due to the small sample size, correlation variables support the feasibility of SkiErg-based LT testing for Nordic skiers, providing a structured method for assessing aerobic capacity. Future work will increase sample size to assess LT’s relationship to sport-specific performance, such as time trials, and evaluate SkiErg testing reliability across multiple sessions.