F1 drivers' hearts beat 190 times a minute in races | FerrariChat
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F1 drivers' hearts beat 190 times a minute in races

Discussion in 'F1' started by 62 250 GTO, Jun 17, 2008.

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  1. 62 250 GTO

    62 250 GTO F1 Veteran

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    #1 62 250 GTO, Jun 17, 2008
    LONDON, England -- Formula One drivers spend a lot of time talking about the gym and going jogging.

    Even when they're on holiday there is a gym close at hand -- in fact many list fitness as a hobby, which is a little on the sad side.

    However, they're exercise obsessed for a good reason: without being in peak fitness they would not be able to handle the stresses of driving a Formula One car at 350kmh.

    It's perhaps the one situation where sitting down for up to two hours is actually very, very tiring.

    According to Toyota, their drivers -- Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock -- would not last a race without getting sweaty in the gym.

    "The highly-efficient carbon brakes slow a car down so rapidly and the downforce generated by current aerodynamics is such that a driver experiences a peak of around 5Gs under braking and in high-speed corners," the team said.

    "This affects the whole body but has its most dramatic consequence on the neck and chest."

    The team said for a "typical person" the forces were almost unimaginable, the closest comparison they could make was with a rollercoaster -- though that is some way off.

    During a race, most drivers had an average heart rate around 170 beats per minute -- higher than most other athletes -- with a peak of 190, Toyota said. Moreover, this season -- with traction control removed -- the drivers heartbeats had increased up to 10 beats a minute.

    Glock said Formula One was unique when it came to the fitness requirements.

    "I would say it's completely different to any other sport because you have a heartbeat average of 170 over an hour and a half and you never see that in another sport," Glock said.

    "That makes it completely different. That's the reason why you have to be really fit as a Formula One driver."

    Toyota team doctor Riccardo Ceccarelli said the drivers had to have a very high aerobic fitness level.

    "They go jogging, cycling, all sports that involve aerobic area. The second part of the training is specific for the neck. They need a very strong neck because every corner puts a load of around 20-25kgs on the neck, and obviously a strong upper body and forearms."

    Ceccarelli said keeping the brain in top condition was also important.

    "The brain is just like a muscle and you can train it."

    He has developed computer simulations which could test -- and improve -- reaction times, multi-tasking and spatial awareness.

    Trulli said he used the above to ensure he was mentally prepared for a race.

    "We do mental preparation with some of these simulations which have been developed through the years. I can easily do them at home or even during the Grand Prix weekend using my computer.

    "It's all about keeping concentration and trying to be fit and concentrated for a race distance, which is not so easy in a Formula One car because obviously it's very quick."

    Ceccarelli said studies had shown a marked difference between how racing drivers and normal people responded to the tests.

    "The difference is that the driver is much more economical in managing this performance, so his brain is working in an economical way compared to a normal person.

    "That means he is able to carry on this performance for a longer time compared to a normal person. That is the important point we have to consider in the training."
     
  2. Gilles27

    Gilles27 F1 World Champ

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    #2 Gilles27, Jun 17, 2008
    Flavio's heartrate probably approached 190 a few times this past weekend...
     
  3. Cartist

    Cartist Formula Junior

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    #3 Cartist, Jun 17, 2008
    lol!
     
  4. ferraridude615

    ferraridude615 F1 Veteran

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    #4 ferraridude615, Jun 17, 2008
    I wonder what the heart rate drops to just before a crash.
     
  5. shahedc

    shahedc Formula 3

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    #5 shahedc, Jun 17, 2008
    How about F1 fans when 3 teams are heading to the final few races, where anyone can be king?
    :D

    ~shahedc
    .

    p.s. according to the British papers, Lewis is King Hamilton :)
     
  6. kraftwerk

    kraftwerk Two Time F1 World Champ

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    #6 kraftwerk, Jun 17, 2008
    Last edited: Jun 17, 2008
    Believe me they put em up there to knock em down.

    & Not everyone in England is so fickle/gullible you know..
     
  7. Godfather

    Godfather Formula Junior

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    #7 Godfather, Jun 17, 2008
    I recall reading an article a few years ago that discussed Schumacher's condition, the article said his condition was so good that his heart rate did not go up that much when he strapped himself into the car.
     
  8. ferraridude615

    ferraridude615 F1 Veteran

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    #8 ferraridude615, Jun 17, 2008
    Probably because he is part robot.
     
  9. mousecatcher

    mousecatcher Formula 3

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    #9 mousecatcher, Jun 18, 2008
    thank you for posting this. i had kind of assumed they must not break 120 or maybe 150 at most. 170 average?? over 90m/2h? wow.
     
  10. mousecatcher

    mousecatcher Formula 3

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    #10 mousecatcher, Jun 18, 2008
    trust me, my brain works very economically.
     
  11. Testacojones

    Testacojones F1 Veteran

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    #11 Testacojones, Jun 18, 2008
    I think Senna was at 110 bpm.
     
  12. Remy Zero

    Remy Zero Two Time F1 World Champ

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    #12 Remy Zero, Jun 18, 2008
    Michael even used to have he's blood sample taken during tests. after doing either half or a full race distance, he'll have he's blood sample taken. from the book i read, Schumacher : the edge of greatness, during MS's final year, he had a heart fit as a 25 year old.

    as for Senna, he used to hold he's breathe during a quali lap, so that more blood will rush to he's brains, and he can think and react faster. simply brilliant. :)
     
  13. J. Salmon

    J. Salmon F1 Rookie
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    #13 J. Salmon, Jun 18, 2008
    170 is not really that big a deal, that's not unusual for a runner or cyclist. Heart rates also very dramatically with the individual. My max is about 178 (the most I have ever seen on a monitor), and I run 160 at threshold (where I can hold it for 1.5 hours or so) but I know guys that will break 200 with a threshold in the high 190s. The 220 minus your age thing (to estimate your max HR) gives you average only, and is really meaningless for an individual.

    I am not saying that F1 is not physically taxing - on the contrary, it's a significant aerobic metabolic load. The drivers are fit, and are probably working in a similar way to other athletes.

    Any mountain biker can tell you, that as you get tired, it gets very difficult to remain focused and be precise. You would have to be "overly fit" to stay frosty for the entire race.
     
  14. Gilles27

    Gilles27 F1 World Champ

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    #14 Gilles27, Jun 18, 2008
    I remember a pretty cool video piece they did at Indy back in the 70's. They attached heart monitors to several drivers to compare their heart rates. One driver's pulse shot up into the mid 100s just stepping into the car, and another 30 or so as he pulled out onto the track. Gordon Johncock barely pushed 100. He got up to speed and had a "moment" where the car brushed the wall at full throttle and his rate only jumped about 10 bpm.
     
  15. Cartist

    Cartist Formula Junior

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    #15 Cartist, Jun 18, 2008
    LOL! That's just a hilarious visual (though I understand it's partly true.)
     
  16. smart_alek

    smart_alek Formula Junior

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    #16 smart_alek, Jun 18, 2008
    That is dangerous. Someone could pass out from doing that sort of thing.
     
  17. Racerboy

    Racerboy Formula Junior
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    #17 Racerboy, Jun 18, 2008
    Where was this article published? Link? Thx
     
  18. ejpoulsen

    ejpoulsen Karting

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    #18 ejpoulsen, Jun 19, 2008
    As a physician, I'm skeptical of this data. What is the source?
     
  19. maxorido

    maxorido Formula 3

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    #19 maxorido, Jun 19, 2008
    Yeah I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that it was around 150 bpm, with it spiking as high as 200 when something unexpected happens.
     
  20. omgjon

    omgjon F1 Rookie
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    #20 omgjon, Jun 19, 2008
  21. AMA328

    AMA328 F1 Rookie

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    #21 AMA328, Jun 19, 2008
    I remember seeing something on TV several yrs ago about Emmo having a much lower pulse than others, similar to Schumi.
     
  22. 62 250 GTO

    62 250 GTO F1 Veteran

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    #22 62 250 GTO, Jun 20, 2008
    Perhaps the high rate is connected to the stress of the body under braking and acceleration?
     
  23. Julio Batista

    Julio Batista Formula 3

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    #23 Julio Batista, Jun 20, 2008
    Something puzzles me...

    Fangio never saw the inside of a gym and regularly crushed his opponents even when he was over 40. Froilan Gonzalez, Campari, ***ioli and others were FAT. Luigi Musso and Eugenio Castelloti SMOKED while waiting for the starting flag. In the MM, Bracco once said a copilot was indispensable, but only to light his cigarettes. The lifestyle of 50's drivers (usually very little physical training, abundant nightlife and epic drinking) could certainly not be considered healthy!

    So, which of these would be the correct conclusion:

    1. They were all ignorant or stupid because if they had trained they would have been far superior to their opponents.

    2. 50's and 60's cars were much less physically demanding (I find that hard to believe. G forces were inferior, but the effort needed to drive and steer was probably much greater).

    3. Physical training and shape is important, but not paramount.

    I lean towards 3). What do you think?
     
  24. mousecatcher

    mousecatcher Formula 3

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    #24 mousecatcher, Jun 20, 2008
    #2
     
  25. Gilles27

    Gilles27 F1 World Champ

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    #25 Gilles27, Jun 20, 2008
    Modern drivers are exposed to physical forces that drivers from bygone eras never came close to experiencing. However, the bigger drivers, especially in the 40s and 50s, had the heft for all-day stamina that some of those races required. Think about it this way: Where does a late-60s Grand Prix car stack up performance-wise with all the different classes of modern racing cars? I don't have an answer, I'm actually curious to know where they would slot in, FA, C-Sport, F3000?
     
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