According to new research published this week in New Scientist magazine, it's not the gluhwein at lunch or the Mutzig the night before, but the skiing itself that's making you feel sick.

Rudolf Haeusler, from the University of Berne, claims up to 5 per cent of winter sports enthusiasts suffer from ski nausea.

The Times reported yesterday that the unusual movements of skiing, combined with the effects of altitude and the whiteness of the pistes, can provoke bouts of 'ski sickness', with nausea, balance problems and even vomiting.

Apparently most skiers tend to turn every two to three seconds - a frequency that mimics a rocking boat. The view of white snow on the slope makes it hard for the eye to tell exactly where the ground is, leading to disorientation, which adds to the nausea. The situation is worse in a white out, with tight boots, and surprise, surprise, alcohol at lunch also doesn't help.

His solution? Motion sickness tablets or 'long, languid traverses' across the piste.

Our solution? Pay no attention to rubbish that only exists to allow scientists expensive research in ski resorts - if you're feeling nauseous, you're probably still pissed from the night before :-)

[Thanks to Peter Coleman for spotting this story]

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