The associations between health problems and performance in elite cross-country skiers

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between health problems, defined as injury or illness, on performance during a competitive season among elite XC skiers (9 females; 9 males). Methods: Data was collected for 17 weeks using the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center questionnaire on health problems, resulting in a total of 296 athlete weeks’ worth of data. Prevalence and severity measures were calculated for all health problems and substantial health problems (defined as problems leading to moderate or severe reductions in training volume or sports performance, or complete inability to participate). Acssociations between health problems and performance were analyzed using regressions with change in FIS points from the 2018/19 season to the 2019/20 season, representing performance. Results: The average weekly prevalence of all health problems was 19% (95% CI: 3.5% to 34%). Prevalence of substantial health problems was 12% (95% CI: -0.4% to 25%). Illness was the most common health problem, representing 74 days (71%) of total time loss compared to overuse injuries (12 days, 12%) and acute injuries (18 days, 17%). There was no significant association between the cumulative severity score of health problems (-0.03; 95% CI: -0.08 to 0.02; p = 0.25). Conclusions: No relationship was identified between the cumulative severity of health problems and performance. Practical applications: The findings from this study suggest that ongoing surveillance programs could be useful in mapping athlete injury and illness trends