System disruptions
There are recurring service disruptions on some of the search portals due to high traffic. We are working to resolve the issue, you may temporarily encounter an error message.
Change search
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf
Endurance Training in Olympic Winter Sports: A Narrative Review of the Current Literature and Future Research Priorities
Integrative and Experimental Exercise Science & Training, Institute of Sport Science, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
Luleå University of Technology, Department of Engineering Sciences and Mathematics, Machine Elements. Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Biomedicum C5, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-3814-6246
2026 (English)In: Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, ISSN 0905-7188, E-ISSN 1600-0838, Vol. 36, no 2, article id e70220Article, review/survey (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

The Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics present an opportunity to synthesize evolving paradigms in endurance training within the broader context of long-term athlete development. As Olympic winter sports span from endurance-limited events to disciplines in which aerobic fitness primarily serves as a feeder capacity, a single training model is insufficient. In this narrative review, we propose a dual framework: (1) a demand-driven, athlete-centered, data-supported model for Endurance-Limited sports (e.g., cross-country skiing, biathlon) and (2) a Feeder-Function model for sports in which endurance primarily supports recovery, training tolerance, and resilience (e.g., freestyle skiing, snowboarding, sliding sports). Within this framework, we narratively synthesize and critically evaluate the literature across key domains, including individualized volume–intensity architectures, the integration of concurrent strength training, and the strategic use of multimodal stress stacking (e.g., hypoxia, heat). We further address the operationalization of emerging performance constructs such as durability, fatigability, resilience, and repeatability. We also present a heuristic tier framework describing when endurance acts as a primary performance limiter versus a supporting capacity across Olympic winter sports. Subsequently, we examine the role of advanced technologies, from multisensor wearables and analytics to mechanistic approaches (e.g., multiomics), highlighting their potential to shift practice from passive monitoring to active, individualized modeling. Future research priorities include validating field-based operational metrics, defining minimal effective endurance doses for feeder-function sports, and developing interpretable, athlete-centered decision-support tools. By aligning sport-specific demands with individualized, evidence-informed prescription, this dual-framework approach offers a perspective to guide interpretation and future applied work for scientists, coaches, and athletes preparing for Milano-Cortina 2026 and beyond.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
John Wiley and Sons Inc , 2026. Vol. 36, no 2, article id e70220
Keywords [en]
adaptive phenotyping, duarability, fatgability, fatigue, load-response modeling, recovery, training responsiveness
National Category
Sport and Fitness Sciences
Research subject
Machine Elements
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-116526DOI: 10.1111/sms.70220ISI: 001692345800001PubMedID: 41673933Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105029739891OAI: oai:DiVA.org:ltu-116526DiVA, id: diva2:2041505
Note

Full text license: CC BY 4.0;

Available from: 2026-02-25 Created: 2026-02-25 Last updated: 2026-06-30Bibliographically approved

Open Access in DiVA

fulltext(1117 kB)119 downloads
File information
File name FULLTEXT01.pdfFile size 1117 kBChecksum SHA-512
6b270f1dda4c1e04b965d5fdbbb554f384ab14f7c935a76569973c0f0aa9133e1c075e127713e0a68006dc52cb74b3508f036c21285591605f7e701899f3b699
Type fulltextMimetype application/pdf

Other links

Publisher's full textPubMedScopus

Authority records

Holmberg, Hans-Christer

Search in DiVA

By author/editor
Holmberg, Hans-Christer
By organisation
Machine Elements
In the same journal
Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports
Sport and Fitness Sciences

Search outside of DiVA

GoogleGoogle Scholar
The number of downloads is the sum of all downloads of full texts. It may include eg previous versions that are now no longer available

doi
pubmed
urn-nbn

Altmetric score

doi
pubmed
urn-nbn
Total: 14140 hits
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf