Source: American College of Sports Medicine, News Release
December 9, 2002
www.acsm.org
INDIANAPOLIS - Professional racecar drivers demonstrate physiological responses during competition similar to those reported by elite athletes participating in traditional team sports, according to research published in the December issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise , the official journal of the American College of Sports Medicine.
Data from the study, performed by researchers at the University of Miami, indicates drivers qualify as elite athletes, possessing great physical and mental stamina, similar to energy requirements in sports including football, baseball and basketball.
Before this investigation, the amount of physical work required during competitive racing was unknown. Through advancements in technology, researchers were able to conduct this study away from the traditional laboratory setting utilizing specialized portable equipment to continuously measure heart rate and oxygen consumption during high-speed driving sessions.
"Professional drivers have enhanced their health and fitness in order to gain the competitive edge," said lead author, Patrick Jacobs, Ph.D., FACSM. "We were able to match the science with the drivers on the tracks where they compete and confirm that they are well-conditioned athletes with cardio respiratory fitness comparable to other elite athletes."
Seven professional male drivers, each with more than 12 years of professional experience, participated as subjects during their preseason period. The purpose of the study was to examine the physiological responses to high-speed, open-wheel racecar driving among these drivers, as well as observe the reported variances in physiological demands between track configurations, notably road courses and speedway settings. The type of vehicle used by the participants of this study is driven in competition in the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) series.
Each driver participated in three physiological assessments within a two-week time period. The first two evaluations measured physiological responses on a road course, requiring numerous changes in velocity, direction and surface per lap of driving, and on an oval speedway, consisting of two long straight-aways and two turns banked at six degrees. The third assessment included a treadmill test used to determine maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) and heart rate.
The two driving assessments (road course and speedway) were performed with lap speed gradually increased and then maintained at driving velocities at or near competition-level speed for several laps (115-121 mph on road course; 202-211 mph on speedway course). During the driving test sessions, the drivers were outfitted with portable equipment that allowed continuous assessment of heart rate and oxygen consumption. Drivers assessed their own rate of perceived exertion (RPE) that corresponded to their greatest effort, following the Borg numeric scale that categorizes exertion levels ranging from very, very light (6) to somewhat hard (13) to very, very hard (20).
Between two and seven days after the second driving assessment, each driver completed a treadmill stress test to determine their maximal values of oxygen consumption and heart rate. Subjects again determined their RPE, which produced peak responses of 18 or greater. The maximal oxygen consumption values attained on the treadmill tests were similar to those previously reported for professional football, baseball, and basketball players.
Road course driving produced significantly greater oxygen uptake levels among drivers compared to the speedway course; average heart rate values also were higher on the roadway circuit. Road course testing also was closer to oxygen and heart rate levels reported from treadmill tests. The RPE responses following roadway tests ranged from 15 (hard) to 17 (very hard); speedway test self-ratings fell between 11 (fairly light) to 13 (somewhat hard).
The results of the road course testing indicated that these drivers reached levels of physical effort similar to those reached in many traditional team sports such as basketball or baseball. The average oxygen consumption recorded while driving near competitive pace on the road course was up to 13 times that of resting energy consumption levels. This work level is comparable to that reported in persons running an eight-10-minute mile or cycling at 20-22 mph. Likewise, on the speedway course, drivers' heart rates were equivalent to 76 percent of the maximum heart rate, well within the target heart rate range of 70-85 percent for prescribed exercise intensity.
The authors noted the difference in oxygen uptake and heart rate responses between courses may be related to the energy expenditure needed to control position within the car, muscular work efforts required, neural activity and g-force loads on respective courses. According to the researchers, additional studies are needed to determine influences of the psychological and physiological stress in actual competition, the effects of heat and hydration on driver performance, and possible interactions of heat stress and g-force tolerance.
Faasst Performance Driving School, Inc.
4771 Barnes Road
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80917
719-761-1372
registration@faasst.com