Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 (Tek) 9/26/83; site mako.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxj!ihnp4!zehntel!tektronix!orca!mako!jans From: jans@mako.UUCP (Jan Steinman) Newsgroups: net.bicycle Subject: Re: Bike ---> Cross Country Ski Message-ID: <375@mako.UUCP> Date: Mon, 26-Nov-84 12:59:51 EST Article-I.D.: mako.375 Posted: Mon Nov 26 12:59:51 1984 Date-Received: Wed, 28-Nov-84 03:11:54 EST References: Reply-To: jans@mako.UUCP (Jan Steinman) Organization: Tektronix, Wilsonville OR Lines: 48 Summary: [All references to "skiing" are to >complete< skiing, not the lift kind!] In article thielges@uiucdcsb.UUCP writes: > ...(what is) the physical effort needed per mile (for cross-country skiing) > in terms of the same effort used in biking. Nordic (a.k.a. "cross-country) skiing is generally regarded as having the highest >potential< for caloric expenditure, which often gets overemphasized. (Cross country skiing? That's a lot of work!) But it also has one of the broadest ranges in energy usage. Simply shuffling around at an easy pace consumes little more energy than walking (150-250 calories per hour), while racers in top condition burn energy at a rate greater than any other athelete. (1000+ c/h) An average skier probably burns around 250-450 c/h. I don't know how this compares to biking, and the whole thing is pretty individual, anyway. If you are an aggressive biker, and will be an aggressive skier, I suspect you will burn more energy skiing, simply because: >...how it works the 'bike' muscles to keep them in condition,... You are using more muscles when you ski (especially if you ski correctly). Nordic skiing is a whole-body exercise, which it shares with swimming, wrestling, and very few other exercises. Although both biking and skiing are quadricep (sp?) intensive, skiing involves the back, stomach, shoulder, and arm (and even facial ":-)") muscle groups in a coordinated manner seen in no other sport. If your intent is training for biking, the upper-body work will probably be counter productive, but it certainly is great for over-all fitness. I personally find that cycling tends to increase leg muscle bulk, while skiing improves leg muscle definition. Also, the grecillous (sp?), the pronating muscle that runs from the groin to the inside of the knee, is relatively unused in biking and may be painful after your first few snowplows. Unlike bicycling, nordic skiing is technique intensive. (No flames from cycling technophiles, I stand by the statement that there is more to learn about skiing efficiently than pedalling a bicycle.) To get the most from skiing, take a few lessons from a PSIA Certified instructor. (A biased opinion -- I'm a certified instructor with eight years experience.) After a while, you may find yourself riding a bicycle to keep in shape for skiing... -- :::::: Jan Steinman Box 1000, MS 61-161 (w)503/685-2843 :::::: :::::: tektronix!tekecs!jans Wilsonville, OR 97070 (h)503/657-7703 ::::::