In the wake of the 2022 Winter Games, interest has increased in learning about cold-weather sports and athlete care. ACSM is happy to share the following resources developed by our members and published in ACSM's journals.

The Science of Figure Skating: Jumps | Blog

Deborah King, Ph.D., discusses her extensive research into one of the most anticipated events of every Winter Games, figure skating! Learn about the biomechanics of the impressive jumps performed by the athletes.

Biomechanics of Figure Skating | Video

Want to go even more in-depth on the biomechanics of figure skaters’ impressive feats? Dr. King presents a full talk and answers questions in this early installment of ACSM’s Brown Bag Series in Science.

How to Get Started with a New Winter Sport | Blog

Laura Young, Ph.D., shares insights for aspiring skiers and snowboarders gleaned from her years of experience as a ski instructor with Professional Ski Instructors of America. She breaks down the need-to-know information like how to plan for your first excursion, making the sport cost effective and defining the popular phrase après-ski.

Exercising in the Cold: Chilled, not Shaking! | Blog

Being active outdoors in the cold can be invigorating, but it’s important to know the risks and protect yourself from cold-related injury. Laura Young, Ph.D., and ACSM’s Chief Science Office Lynette Craft Ph.D., FACSM, break down the key takeaways from ACSM’s recent consensus statement, “Injury Prevention and Exercise performance during Cold-Weather Exercise.” You can check out the full consensus statement here.

Exercise in Hot and Cold Environments | Handout

Micah Zuhl, Ph.D., provides more tips for keepings yourself safe while being active in extreme temperatures. This convenient handout can easily be downloaded and shared with others.

Exercising in the Cold | Infographic

Dr. Zuhl also put together this hand infographic that outlines proper layering techniques to keep yourself protected based on the temperature and your desired activity.

High Altitude and Cold Weather Sport: Are There Nutritional Concerns? | Blog

How can an athlete ensure that they are properly fueled for performance in cold and/or high-altitude conditions? Dan Benardot, Ph.D., R.D., FACSM, has worked with many professional and Olympic athletes through out his career, and provides insights into potential issues and how they can be avoided. (Dr. Benardot is also the author of ACSM’s Nutrition for Exercise Science).

Doping Control in PyeongChang – Fighting for Clean Sport at the Winter Games | Blog

Ahead of the previous Winter Games, Matthew Fedoruk, Ph.D., shared insights into the doping control programs that the organizing committee put into place following the doping scandal at the 2014 Sochi Winter Games.

Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Use in Sports, Health and Society: A New Consensus Statement from ACSM | Blog

If you want to learn more about steroid use both in sports and by recreational athletes, check out ACSM’s recent consensus statement on the topic. Michele LaBotz, M.D., share a summary in this blog post. You can read the full consensus statement here.

Relevant articles published in ACSM’s journals:

Incidence of exercise-induced bronchospasm in Olympic winter sport athletes | MSSE 2000

Winter Sport Athletes: Nutrition Issues during Preparation for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, USA | MSSE 2002

A Biomechanical Analysis Quadruple Figure Skating Jumps | MSSE 2002

Altitude Training, Erythropoietin, and Blood Doping | ESSR 2002

Bone Mineral Density of Olympic-Level Female Winter Sport Athletes | MSSE 2004

Prevention and Treatment of Foot and Ankle Injuries in Figure Skaters | CSMR 2006

Medical Coverage of Winter Nordic Sports, An Overview From the Field | CSMR 2010

Common Injuries and Medical Problems in Singles Figure Skaters | CSMR 2013

The Physiological Capacity of the World’s Highest Ranked Female Cross-country Skiers | MSSE 2016