The influence of lateral dominance on bilateral performance in alpine skiers

Purpose This study investigated the impact of lateral dominance (eye/leg dominance and ipsilateral/crossed dominance patterns) on bilateral turning performance in alpine skiers, analyzing its mechanistic role across different skiing phases to provide theoretical support for training optimization. Methods Twenty-two alpine skiers (age: 23.14 ± 1.75 years; national level 1 or above) performed slalom tests on an indoor ski simulator (slope: 20°; speed: 27.3 km/h). 4 K cameras recorded kinematics and time metrics during initiation phase, and turning phases. Post-test, eye dominance was determined via hole-in-card and electrooculography tests, while leg dominance was assessed through single-leg vertical jumps. Participants were categorized into ipsilateral/crossed dominance groups based on eye-leg combinations. Mixed linear models analyzed within-group differences across phases. Results During initiation phase, dominant eye-turn consistency showed a significant effect, where turns towards the non-dominant side yielded superior performance ( β = −0.010, P = 0.015). In the completion phase, interaction effects indicated that ipsilateral dominance yielded superior performance specifically when turns were consistent with the dominant side P = 0.021, partial η ² = 0.021; P < 0.001, partial η ² = 0.027). Cross-dominant skiers demonstrated the poorest performance in single-turn metrics ( P < 0.05), potentially due to interhemispheric integration delays. Laterality influences slalom performance through visuomotor coupling mechanisms, with ipsilateral dominance showing neural efficiency advantages during initiation. Conclusion Coaches should incorporate dual-task training to improve visual-motor coordination and bilateral symmetry, thereby mitigating technical asymmetries and enhancing competitive outcomes.