Some curiosities about motor sports

| The body of a pilot is subjected to high stress on an organic, physical and mental level.

• cardiovascular training is essential for a car or motorcycle driver in their routine.
• The type of training must be aimed at enhancing those parts of the body that are going to be subjected to the greatest load.
• The motorcycle rider must follow a routine focused on the work of the arms, legs and neck-back, while the car rider must strengthen the part of the neck, back and arms.

Very demanding

That is why it is about meeting the needs of each modality with adequate training and knowing what the characteristics of each moment are.

There is a study carried out by a team of Japanese scientists that finds that the heart rate of a kart driver accelerates differently if he is in a competition or is training. This rhythm can vary between 75 beats per minute at rest, up to 168.8 in competition, going through 140.9 in training.

Something similar happens with motorcycling pilots, who in the case of a competition place their heart rate, in general, above 90% of the maximum heart rate (RCM). In both cases, it is clear that you have to dedicate time to carry out a programmed cardiovascular training within a routine. How many times have we seen Fernando Alonso, for example, pedaling a bicycle? What you are doing is training your heart outside of the cockpit for when it is necessary to put it to the maximum and that it responds appropriately and minimizes the effect of fatigue.

Physical work

Regarding physical work, a motorcycle rider will not be the same as a car rider. Not only do you have to differentiate depending on the wheels of the vehicle but also the type since the motocross rider will not be the same as the enduro rider. It is clear that each type of vehicle has very specific needs. It has been found that the motocross rider has greater strength in the hands and greater muscle mass than the enduro rider. This fact is decisive when scheduling training. Its meaning is nothing more than the programming of a type of routine aimed at enhancing those parts of the body that are going to be subjected to the greatest load.

In general, it could be said that the motorcycle rider must follow a routine focused on the work of the arms, legs and neck-back, while the car rider should strengthen the part of the neck, back and arms. The neck is one of the “Achilles heels” of drivers, especially cars, since they have to face high G-forces from accelerations and curves.

Knowing each discipline is essential for good preparation and subsequent good results.