More people are getting their rollerski treadmills, and at more training facilities, there are opportunities for technique analysis, training, and tests. But should you train on a rollerski treadmill?

We have spoken with Audun Svartdal, a Norwegian coach who is one of the experts in the country with the longest and widest experience of using rollerski treadmills as part of the training.

“The treadmill will always complement training outdoors, but in certain periods it can be a good alternative,” says Svartdal to langrenn.com.

He points out that it is mainly late in the autumn when bad weather, dark evenings, slippery surfaces, and still no skiing. Then it can be not easy to do good quality workouts outdoors, and the treadmill can then be a good complement to the training.

There are two types of rollerski treadmills: narrow ones where it is only possible to go classic, and wide ones where it is possible to skate. There are many narrow bands, and there are also some elite skiers who have it at home. However, wide treadmills to skate on are fewer:

“It has become increasingly popular to train on a treadmill, not least since Martin Johnsrud Sundby started frequently using the equipment at the Olympic Summit in Oslo and got very good results. Then there was an increased demand from other skiers, which meant that they needed to limit who could train on the treadmill,” says Svartdal.

For Sundby, it was a period of heart problems in 2011 that made him train with the treadmill as a starting point:

“After Martin had the heart problem, he started training a lot on the treadmill. It was ten meters from the health center, so there was no safer place to train than there if something had happened during the session,” says Svartdal, who is careful to point out that the equipment is not a must.

“You get the job done outside. I work with skiers at the absolute highest level who do not use rollerski treadmills in their training. Some enjoy training on it; others prefer to train outdoors,” says Svartdal.

What are the benefits of the treadmill?

“The conditions are always the same. You can standardize the intervals, which means that you get reliable answers about how the shape is. Outdoor training is also measurable, but even if you train on the same course and at actual speed, it is known that rollerski wheels roll much easier in higher summer temperatures than in temperatures close to zero,” says Svartdal.

Another advantage is that the coach can communicate with the athlete during the session. Many rollerski treadmills also have a mirror and a video screen where the skier can always see what the technique looks like and how it would be possible to change.

“It is, of course, possible to film outdoors, but then the skier must stop to watch the video. On the treadmill, the athlete can watch all the time so that it will be even more ‘real-time.’”

But even if the equipment has several advantages in terms of technique, intensity control, and measurability, indoor training will never substitute for outdoor training.

“In some areas, the equipment is entirely different from skiing outdoors. And you have to practice what you want to be good at. Outdoors have diverse terrain and surfaces, and there are other conditions, hard and loose, hot and cold, and you do not get that on the treadmill.”

In addition, a ski race consists of several tactical and technical values ​​about how to change technique, position yourself, and ski in the curves to optimize the speed and which track glides best. You have to practice it to find the right one.

“These are elements that you cannot train on the treadmill, but which are crucial to succeed in competition,” says Svartdal, who points out that those who want to get the most out of training on the equipment must have excellent training experience and train at a high level.

He, therefore, does not recommend training on a treadmill for younger and recreational skiers.

“My opinion is that skiers under junior age have nothing to do with the equipment. They should train outside. And for skiers in the junior age, they should be at a high national level for the training on the treadmill to add something. Many believe that training on the equipment is more important than it is. However, many have seen that the best train on it, you can definitely reach the absolute highest level even without training on treadmills. You do the best training outdoors,” concludes Svartdal.