No disease or health condition is being investigated. The study addresses a safety-related issue in alpine mountain sports, such as accidents caused by fatigue, which may arise from insufficient knowledge of physical fitness and exercise capacity.
Conditions
Interventions
Group 1: 1. Recruitment of participants (January/February 2026)
2. Performance of ski tours and completion of the questionnaire after each tour (winter season 2026)
3. Sports medicine performance diag
Sponsors
Lehrstuhl und Poliklinik für Präventive Sportmedizin und Sportkardiologie, TUM School of Medicine and Health
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: 1. Physical health, defined as: - an unremarkable medical history with regard to cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases (normal and signed PAR-Q) - no limitations that would prevent participation in a sports medicine exercise test 2. Availability of written informed consent 3. Willingness to disclose smartwatch/app data and to perform a graded lactate exercise test 4. Ownership of a smartwatch meeting the following criteria: - Heart rate measurement (preferably accurate optical measurement or ideally compatibility with a chest strap) - GPS tracking - Reliable battery performance in winter conditions (minimum battery life >4 hours in GPS mode at low temperatures)
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: 1. Known cardiovascular, pulmonary, orthopedic, or neurological diseases 2. Pregnancy or breastfeeding 3. Regular use of medications affecting heart rate (e.g., beta-blockers, antiarrhythmics) 4. Regular cigarette smoking (>1 cigarette per day) and/or cannabis use
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| This is a pilot study without predefined endpoints. The aim of this pilot study is to highlight where ski tourers reach their individual limits—and why they often fail to recognize them. By combining objective exercise load data, nutritional profiles, and sports medicine diagnostics, the study seeks to identify misjudgments of exercise intensity and carbohydrate intake during ski touring that may represent a relevant safety risk. This pilot study aims to define and characterize this previously insufficiently addressed risk, and its results are intended to serve as a basis for future studies. Ultimately, the findings will support the development of a prevention and education concept for alpine clubs, with the goal of sustainably improving safety in ski mountaineering. | — |
Countries
Germany
Contacts
Public ContactCajetan Lang
Lehrstuhl und Poliklinik für Präventive Sportmedizin und Sportkardiologie, TUM School of Medicine and Health
Outcome results
None listed