Investigating the Effect of Sitting Position on Upper Body Range of Motion in Cross-Country Sit Skiing

In addition to effective training and optimization of physiological performance parameters, selecting the appropriate sports equipment is key to achieving ideal athletic performance. For Paralympic cross-country sit skiing athletes, this means that the sledge must be tailored to the individual needs of each athlete. An efficient sitting position and an individual sled design tailored to the athlete’s impairment are crucial for the success of para-athletes. However, there is a lack of studies examining the effects of different sitting positions on sledging performance. In this study, a kinematic analysis of three representative positions was performed: knee high (KH), knee low (KL), and neutral (NT). The aim of the analysis was to identify differences in upper body kinematics among six athletes. The results indicate that the subjects had a greater range of motion in the KL position, which allowed for better force transfer onto the poles and thus resulted in significantly improved poling force and thus better forward drive. In contrast, the KH position exhibited a more restricted range of motion in the upper body, which could limit force transfer and their performance. In summary, the findings suggest that the KL position maximizes the upper body range of motion and overall efficiency in poling. This is significant for the selection of the individual sledge position and for fair classification in the sport.