VUB research group studies ideal body for alpine skiers

What is the ideal body for an athlete? Soccer players are often short, while high jumpers tend to be tall. For alpine skiers, the ideal stature depends on the discipline: if you’re going downhill, you’ll get down faster with a little extra weight, but if you’re taking on the slalom, it’s better to be a little lighter, otherwise you’ll miss the gates. The VUB research group Movement and Nutrition for Health and Performance (MOVE) studied the bodies of 58 elite alpine skiers, men and women, and made some interesting findings. At the same time, it conducted research on 12 young alpine skiers to determine the effect of dehydration on their performance.

The appendices contain reports on these two studies.

MOVE is affiliated with the Department of Movement and Sports Sciences of the Faculty of Physical Education and Movement Sciences and Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. It focuses on three themes: health, performance and motor skills and didactics.

For more information, please contact the VUB press office to speak with the researchers.