Abstract
Aim of the Article is to better understand the effects of the breathing and poling entrainment on the performance in cross country skiing. This question remains unanswered and the different points discussed in this review may support decision making for all individuals who aim to improve the training of cross country skiing. Altogether, the different points discussed in this review may be relevant for trainers and skiers who aim to perform better. Therefore, we reviewed the currently available literature in order to answer the important questions: does breathing entrainment exist in cross country skiing, how does it affect the skier's performance? Search criteria: breathing entrainment; exercise; breathing coupling; cross country skiing; breathing frequency; metabolic cost; energy expenditure.
Breathing entrainment was confirmed in cross country skiing under certain conditions. Athletes use preferably 1:1 ratio of breathing and locomotion in double pooling, also 1:1 in V1 skate and 1:2 in V2. There is slight evidence of a decrease of energy expenditure when using breathing entrainment.