Heart rate profiles and energy cost of locomotion during cross-country skiing races.

The purpose of this study was to compare heart rate responses and speed in two cross-country skiing races, which were run by seven male and seven female subjects by using classic and free style. Heart rates and skiing velocities were analyzed over flat, uphill and downhill sections, which were run from one to three times. Heart rates were higher in uphill sections than in flat sections; a steady-state heart rate was never reached in the downhill section.