Drivers physical training

[mx_tifoso]

The physical training aspect has always interested me, and recently Fernando Alonso has put up a decent summary of his routine since Valencia;

https://twitter.com/#!/alo_oficial

[raymondu999]

Somewhat relevant, on James Allen's website: http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2012/07/t ... r-trainer/

[timbo]

The physical training aspect has always interested me, and recently Fernando Alonso has put up a decent summary of his routine since Valencia;

Interesting. Recently he looked as if he switched his focus to more of power exercises and gained some weight.

[Harvey]

I find it interesting that he's only spent 2hrs in the gym in 10days. I would've put upper body strength high up the list of training requirements. Even more so considering the large amounts of leg work he's doing with the cycling and running.
Interesting stuff.

[Lycoming]

Well, they have power steering, but no power brakes, which is not to say that steering is not a physical activity.

F1 isn't really a sport that requires absolute strength. Its more about having the fitness to cope with the temperatures and G forces well enough to still be able to drive the car at the limit. Which is consistent with the regime outlined there.

[DaveKillens]

I've heard that during a race, a driver's physiological rate is similar to an endurance runner's. Their heart rate can range from 170 to 190 beats per minute. Then there's the strength aspect, pushing the pedals, fighting the G-forces for almost two hours.

But what I find most interesting is that you have to remember that while strapped into a car, their bodies are receiving a horrific beating. There's basically no suspension movement and no padding between their bodies and the hard seat. Then there's the heat, noise, and vibration input, sure to give any normal person a bad case of the heaves and headache for a week.

And due to the nature of Formula One racing, the driver has to be at his best not only at the start, but at the finish, a time when it's the roughest. After over an hour of high physical demands and intense mental workload, the pressure can mount for those last few laps, when just the slightest mistake or lapse of concentration can spell the difference between being on the podium, or not.

There's a good reason why guys like Alonso and his peers put in so much endurance training, they want to be there at the finish.

[Harvey]

Well, they have power steering, but no power brakes, which is not to say that steering is not a physical activity.

F1 isn't really a sport that requires absolute strength. Its more about having the fitness to cope with the temperatures and G forces well enough to still be able to drive the car at the limit. Which is consistent with the regime outlined there.

But they don't have power necks!

There's a lot of research out there now suggesting that strength training can increase endurance performance more than traditional endurance training.