Sensitivity is addressed in several sports, but in alpine skiing, it is a skill that must be trained constantly since positioning and controlling our skis on the edges, pressure control, and direction orientation, among other things, require the fine use of all our senses.
Sensitivity is our ability to be aware of a stimulus variation; it is the opposite of force and the absence of body tension increases it. It is being aware of the little or unnecessary muscular efforts to perform skiing actions. Articular sensitivity allows us detecting the position of bones and records mobility through joint angles.
Sensitivity to resistance is our skill to detect opposition and adjust our movements. The resistances which we experience could be internal, as the resistance in the execution of our own movements; or external, as the friction of our skis on the snow; the contact with bumps or slalom gates; snow consistency; boot flex; skis deformation or the resistance perceived when leaning on the inside or uphill pole as a reference for the degree of our body inclination.
The awakening of sensitivity causes a revolution in our consciousness creating new perceptions. It is not just connecting with sensations but also reflecting on our technique, reaching smooth but firm skiing.
Feet Sensitivity
Our feet are recognized as a fundamental source of afferent sensory information as well as regulating skiing-related movements, including overall balance control. Being as a contact surface between us and the sliding ground, our feet deserve special attention since they provide mechanical information pickup about vibrations and tactile sensory inputs.
According to several types of research, feet sensitivity contributes to legs coordination and body posture through sensorimotor integration. Aging has a negative effect on feet sensitivity, caused by cutaneous mechanoreceptors reduction and transmission deficiencies of afferent stimuli. Feet should not be only considered as our supporting postural structure but also as an essential sensory information supplier, actively participating in the subtle coordination of our movements and actions’ execution.
Feet skin temperature, blood flow, and boot feature influence our feet optimal functioning during skiing. Feet temperature influences considerably their sensitivity. Skin cooling reduces feet sensitivity, while skin warming improves plantar vibration sensitivity (Schlee, 2010).
Diabetes is known to cause feet sensitive reduction, which together with vascular difficulties, tends to produce plantar ulcers in pressure exposed areas leading to performance limitations.
Visceral Sensitivity
Visceral sensitivity is part of our interoceptive sensitivity. The stomach is considered to be our ‘second brain’. It has millions of neurons and its neural network does not produce cognitive activity but influences our moods. The Vagus nerve connects the brain with our stomach, receiving signals from visceral organs sending them to the brain. Some authors consider that the main role of the enteric nervous system is the digestive regulation, and the secondary is the emotional regulation.
In the visceral sensitivity, emotional states relate to our stomach states. This is altered when negative or positive emotions soar. Negative emotions cause unpleasant sensations because viscera agitate, causing our stomach upset while the positive, such as happiness, release serotonin (hormone of well-being) and the stomach contains 90% of these hormones.
The stress that creates a challenging or threatening situation is manifested as a ‘knot’ in the stomach. These non-rationalized impulses provoke a reaction of tension on the abdominal muscles and even nausea. If the situation is perceived as very unpleasant, we experience such a stomach reaction to the point of causing vomiting. This phenomenon is observed often in children manifesting stomach pain at new situations to which they are not prepared for. These reactions can also occur as adults in circumstances that alter our skiing pace, i.e., novel scenarios that cause uncertainty as taking for the first time a lift; skiing with fog; descend along a new slope or merely observe and perceive it difficult.
In short, our visceral sensitivity is expressed as a deeply emotional reaction that is not reached by reason or logic. It is a momentary state which disappears at the moment we decide to deal with the situation. At descending the slope, we forget the difficulty and pay attention to our actions and trajectories.
Vibro-tactile Sensitivity
Vibro-tactile sensitivity refers to the oscillatory mechanical stimulation that manifests as a continuous pressure or repetitive touch. We perceive it, for example, in small vibrations coming from the steering wheel while driving a car.
Our body, being an elastic mass, has the capacity to vibrate when receiving external stimuli. These vibratory stimuli are generated by friction between our skis and snow surface while sliding on it. The perception of the intrinsic properties of vibration (frequency and amplitude range as location and duration) does not only depend on tactile receptors but also on our subjective aspect and the level of sensitivity we have developed.
Very low amplitude vibrations can be attenuated by our body’s soft parts or our absorbing skills, but vibrations of greater amplitude will be transmitted by the bones to the rest of the body. Because of ski boots restriction, vibratory sensations are manifested mainly in our knees.
On-Slope Examples of Skiing Motor Sensitivity
| Concept Name | Academic Core | “On-Slope” Example |
| Sensitivity | The high-level ability to remain consciously aware of subtle stimulus variations, which is the direct opposite of raw physical force and increases when body tension is absent. | • An expert carver feels an unnecessary micro-tension in their thigh muscle during a long turn and consciously relaxes it to let the ski edge glide more efficiently. |
| Articular Sensitivity | The proprioceptive capacity of the nervous system to detect bone positions and track skeletal mobility through real-time changes in joint angles. | • A racer balances blindly through a fast transition, their brain tracking the exact degree of bend in their knees and ankles without them ever looking down at their legs. |
| Sensitivity to Resistance | The technical skill to detect internal movement opposition or external environmental friction (snow consistency, boot flex, ski deformation) and adjust movements accordingly. | • A skier moves from soft snow onto a firm, hard-packed ridge and instantly adjusts their posture as they feel the abrupt increase in snow friction against the ski base. |
| Feet Sensitivity | The critical collection of sensorimotor data from plantar receptors that coordinates leg movements, regulates overall balance control, and optimizes body posture. | • An advanced skier maneuvers across an unpredictable patch of hard-pack, their brain using instant pressure signals from the soles of their feet to fine-tune leg tracking. |
| Cutaneous Mechanoreceptors Reduction | The age-related physical decline in skin nerve receptors and transmission speeds that diminishes feet sensitivity and degrades sublte movement coordination. | • An older skier notices that they can no longer feel the subtle differences in snow texture as crisply as they used to, requiring more conscious visual effort to balance. |
| Skin Cooling Sensitivity Reduction | The physiological phenomenon where low skin temperatures reduce feet sensitivity, whereas skin warming actively improves plantar vibration detection. | • A skier on a bitterly cold morning suffers from freezing toes, causing them to lose all fine tactile control over their outside ski edge. |
| Visceral Sensitivity | The deeply emotional, non-rationalized stomach reaction triggered via the Vagus nerve when challenging or threatening situations cause severe uncertainty. | • An intermediate skier stands at the top of a steep, fog-covered black diamond run and instantly feels a literal, nauseating “knot” form in their stomach. |
| Vibro-Tactile Sensitivity | The continuous perception of oscillatory mechanical stimulation and repetitive touch generated by the direct friction between the ski bases and the snow surface. | • A skier crosses a stretch of frozen morning ruts, experiencing a high-frequency, continuous buzzing vibration that rattles up through their boots and knees. |
According to these considerations, you can apply the following suggestions in your own skiing:
- Remember that you require the fine use of all your senses to position your body, control your skis on the edges, and regulate pressure and direction, so you should train your sensitivity constantly.
- To detect and enhance your skiing sensations, focus on the absence of body tensions first.
- Pay attention to your feet since they provide mechanical information pickup about vibrations and tactile sensory inputs.
- Consider your feet not only as your supporting postural structure but also as an essential sensory information supplier.
