Figure Skating

Figure skating took its name from the “figures” that competitors were required to complete. These figures were, literally, outlined on the ice as two- or three-lobed figure eights that “figure”skaters had to skate over and match as closely as possible to receive a top score. In 1991, however, figures were removed from international competitive skating and eventually phased out of competition entirely, but the name“figure skating” has remained. Figure skaters aim to produce performances that are smooth, graceful, artistic, and seemingly effortless. The short, curved blades and toe picks used by figure skaters permit these athletes to create intricate spins and perform explosive jumps. Figure skaters have three separate events, and training is specialized for each of these: individual figure skating, pairs skating, and ice dancing. Singles skating is a single-gender competition (i.e., males compete against males, and females compete against females), and pairs skating and ice dancing are mixed-gender events.

In individual figure skating, there is an expectation of grace and effortlessness in the performance, but there is also a competitive premium placed on achieving difficult spins and jumps that favor stronger and smaller athletes. Since the density of air and the resistance of ice do not change for each athlete, large athletes have a greater ice resistance and are confronted with greater relative air resistance than are smaller competitors. Therefore, larger skaters require significantly greater strength to do the same skills as smaller skaters. The top flight of figure skaters appears to get smaller with each successive international competition.

In pairs skating, the male partner is usually considerably larger and stronger than the female. For anyone who has seen a pairs competition, the reason is obvious: The male must lift and throw his female partner frequently during the competition, and this is easier if he's lifting someone smaller. Finding the right physical match is difficult, and poorly matched pairs skaters have difficulty performing at the top level even if they are superb individual skaters.

In ice dancing, there is a much smaller premium on a large male and smaller female because there are no throws or overhead lifts in the competition. Given the intricacy of foot movement and grace found in ice dancing, the sport is well named. The constant movement coupled with a lower power requirement makes this the most aerobic of the three skating disciplines.

Studies have found that figure skaters possess an average aerobic capacity but have the ability to produce high power peaks.¹⁷ That is, when they need to, they can call on their muscles to instantly produce a tremendous amount of power. Studies also indicate that young female skaters consume diets that are relatively high in fat and protein and relatively low in carbohydrate, calcium, and iron.¹⁸ Dietary supplement intake in figure skaters is high, with 65 percent of the male skaters and 76 percent of the female skaters reporting regular supplement intake (mainly of multivitamin and multimineral supplements). ¹⁹ The three top reported reasons for taking the supplements were to prevent illness, provide more energy, and make up for an inadequate diet.

Although there has been a long-standing concern that competitive figure skaters do not consume sufficient energy, a recent study suggests that this concern may be unfounded for most skaters. ²⁰ However, there remains a proportion of skaters who may be at risk for certain disordered eating patterns, and when this occurs, nutrient intake is likely to be low. The distribution of calories throughout the day in figure skaters does appear to be problematic, an issue that skaters should correct to optimize physical performance and mental concentration.²¹

As with any elite sport, injuries occur. The rate of injuries among pairs skaters is particularly alarming. In one study, female senior pairs skaters reported an average of 1.4 serious injuries over a 9-month period, while other skaters had injury rates averaging .5 serious injuries over this same time period.²² Most of these injuries are lower-extremity injuries that might be related to boot design, but other researchers suggest that injuries might be related to poor conditioning.²³

Keeping this in mind, figure skaters players must consider the following nutritionally relevant factors for their sport.

Many skaters are extremely concerned about their weight because appearance on the ice is important in this sport. Optimal weight is best achieved through the consumption of a low-fat, moderate-protein, high-complex-carbohydrate diet plus a good exercise and conditioning program. Although dieting is counterproductive, evidence suggests this is the weight-management strategy of choice among skaters. The consumption of adequate energy from carbohydrate is important for both performance and achievement of a desirable body composition. Inadequate energy intake may predispose the skater to nutrient deficiencies; low energy expenditure; and high body fat levels that can increase the risk of injury, create ill health, and reduce athletic performance.

The jumps in figure skating place a great deal of reliance on phosphocreatine and muscle glycogen. Adequate energy intake from carbohydrate, interspersed with a regular intake of meats (to provide creatine or sufficient protein to make creatine), is important for skaters. For vegetarian skaters, ensuring an adequate total protein and total energy consumption is critical for maintaining muscle mass and synthesizing creatine. The quick burst of muscular activity associated with the jumps required in competitive figure skating is not possible without sufficient storage of phosphocreatine and muscle glycogen. For ice dancing competitions, the fuel requirement involves more muscle glycogen than phosphocreatine, so these athletes are likely to do better with slightly less protein (or meat) but still require an adequate total energy intake to perform well.

Practices are considerably longer than performances. Although skating performances last only several minutes, practices may last for an hour or longer, they may occur more than once each day, and they may be very early in the morning or very late at night (ice time is hard to find). Practice schedules mandate that skaters must alter eating patterns to satisfy their practice needs. For very early morning practices, skaters should eat and drink something (even a slice of toast and a small glass of juice is better than nothing) before taking to the ice to be certain that muscles are well fueled. For late-night practices, a small dinner 2 hours before practice followed by another small dinner immediately after practice will help ensure that muscles are well fueled. Skating while “on empty” will not help the muscles become more conditioned and may actually be counter productive in inducing a training benefit. There are clear benefits to ensuring a normal hydration state. A study of elite figure skaters found that plasma electrolyte concentrations were suggestive of a poor hydration state.²⁴