Methods of endurance development for young ski racers at the stage of initial sports specialization, taking into account the pedagogical principles of accessibility and consistency

Abstract

The article substantiates the relevance of developing a gentle yet effective methodology for improving endurance in young cross-country skiers aged 10-12, in light of the risks associated with accelerated training and the high dropout rate in early stages. The aim of the study is to theoretically and experimentally prove the effectiveness of an approach based on the pedagogical principles of accessibility and sequence. A nine-month pedagogical experiment was conducted with 28 athletes (two homogeneous groups of 14 people each), where the control group trained according to the standard program, and the experimental group according to the newly developed method. The latter applied individualized load regulation based on heart rate (not exceeding 160 bpm for 85% of the preparatory period), prioritized high-volume aerobic work of low and moderate intensity, featured gradual increases in difficulty and specific work proportion, and incorporated game-based activities for up to 25% of training time; the volume of intensive work was 15% lower, and aerobic work 20% higher. Effectiveness was evaluated using the Cooper test, a 3 km run/ski race, the PWC170 test, and post-exercise heart rate recovery analysis; statistical processing used Student's t-test $(p 0.05/0.01)$. Initially, the groups were homogeneous; by the end, the experimental group outperformed the control group: Cooper test $-2403.5\pm88.2$ m vs. 2261.3±81.4 m (difference ≈6,3%); 3 km 13:10.2 vs. 13:55.8 (-45.6 s); PWC170715.6±47.1 vs. 642.1±41.5 (+11,4%). Relative improvement rates were: Cooper test +10.86% vs. 4,91%, 3 km +11,45% vs. 6,02%, PWC170 +23,55% vs. 9,63%; heart rate recovery improved more significantly (-11.3 bpm at 1 min, -8.4 bpm at 3 min). The discussion indicates that consistent increases in aerobic training volume, combined with intensity control and game-based activities, promote deeper cardiorespiratory adaptations, reduce overtraining risk, and sustain motivation. Conclusion: the methodology based on the principles of accessibility and sequence significantly enhances general and specific endurance as well as work capacity in skiers aged 10-12 and is suitable for implementation; future directions include sample expansion, long-term monitoring, and integration of digital load-control tools.