REF-556 · Noordhof, de Koning et al., 2016 · International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, Vol. · Paper
Historical Improvement in Speed Skating Economy
Economy as a possible driver
Protocol & Participants
n=8 skaters of the Dutch national junior team: 3 bouts of 6 laps at submaximal velocity → skating economy in mL O2/kg/km
Literature search for historical skating velocity and submaximal VO2 → historical economy; linear regression of economy on year; correction for technological innovations to estimate the athletic-improvement component; altitude as a confounder in the klapskate-era model
Key Results (abstract)
Contemporary economy: 73.4 ± 6.4 mL O2/kg/km
Over the whole historical time frame (~50 years) economy improved significantly: −0.57 mL O2/kg/km per year (95% CI −0.84 to −0.31)
Klapskate era, altitude-adjusted (athletic improvement only): −0.58 mL O2/kg/km per year, NOT significant (95% CI −1.19 to 0.035) — "approached significance, suggesting a possible improvement"
Premise stated in the abstract: half of the 1500-m world-record improvement is explained by technological innovations, the other half by athletic improvement
Practical Application
Skating economy in 8 Dutch national juniors was 73.4 mL O2/kg/km; historical data show economy improving by 0.57 mL O2/kg/km per year over ~50 years, but the athletic (non-technological) share in the klapskate era, −0.58 per year, was not significant (CI −1.19 to 0.035). Economy is plausibly a trainable driver in speed skating — the evidence here is suggestive, not conclusive
Speed skater: work on economy/technique alongside the engine — the historical trend points that way; the isolated athletic effect is uncertain
Endurance masters athlete: the base's broader lesson that technique = "free" speed rests on other entries (swimming REF-534/535, skiing REF-541); this study adds a cautious data point, not proof
Technology (equipment) is half the record improvement by the authors' premise — the athlete's economy is at most part of the other half
Limitations
n=8 (a modern junior cohort) + heterogeneous historical literature data
The altitude-adjusted klapskate-era trend was not significant
Specific to long-track; the klapskate effect is unique to speed skating
How this entry was checked and changed
Why this level
regraded 2026-09-27 from B+: n=8 contemporary skaters plus heterogeneous historical literature data; the key athletic-improvement estimate was non-significant
Content correction 2026-09-27
"The athletic improvement is largely driven by a rise in skating economy" -> abstract: this is the hypothesis; the klapskate-era, altitude-adjusted estimate (−0.58/yr) was not significant
Added the numbers: 73.4 ± 6.4 mL O2/kg/km, −0.57/yr (CI −0.84 to −0.31) overall, −0.58/yr (CI −1.19 to 0.035) klapskate era
"Klapskate (hinged skate, 1997)" -> the abstract gives no year; removed
Level B+ -> B; Sport line "running, swimming, xc-skiing" -> "speed-skating"
Cross-reference descriptions checked against the cited entries' current content; wrong years, wrong entries and claims the cited entry does not make were corrected.