Motorsports
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Fitness for Motor Sports
Fitness Training
Being fit is very important to motor sports athletes. A poll on this site quite a while ago found that most people are very aware of the fitness requirements of motor sport drivers. They need to be both physically and mentally strong, and to use all sport science disciplines to maximize their performance.
Muscle Strength
Due to the high G-forces that the drivers have to deal with, they should have good neck muscle strength. Normally, the head and helmet weighs about 6 kg. With added G-forces when cornering, the neck has to support up to 30kg! To increase neck strength, you need to train your neck muscles using elastic bands to simulate the G-forces. Specific rowing and weightlifting exercises can also help strengthen the neck muscles. Other parts of the body that are under stress during racecar driving are the shoulders, back, arms and legs, and exercises for these should also be included in any strength training program. Over the course of a race, a F1 driver can potentially be pressing the brake pedal hundreds of times. Core stability is also a very important area to work on.
Cardiovascular fitness
Cardiovascular fitness is important for race car drivers - during a race, the heart rate can be as high as 198 beats per minute, compared to a resting heart rate of 40-60 per minute. As well as plenty of practice laps, race car drivers do extra cardiovascular training such as running, swimming or cycling, to get the body into shape and maintain the appropriate level of fitness.
