Author(s): BUOITE STELLA, A., FERRARI, A., SOLIMAN, G., TYLER, C.J., Institution: UNIVERSITY OF TRIESTE, Country: ITALY, Abstract-ID: 1576

INTRODUCTION:
There is a common misconception that drivers have a little role in their sport, compared to the importance of their vehicle. Nonetheless, data suggest that usually these athletes compete with heart rates, sweat rates, and gravitation forces that can be compared to those found in other sports, or even in astronauts. Despite motorsports are among the largest spectator sports in the world, and despite the peculiar characteristics of these competitions, only a few studies have investigated the physiological and psychological responses of these athletes, maybe due to the “extreme” contexts where they perform.
METHODS:
Electronic databases were searched to retrieve published manuscripts that analyzed cardiovascular, respiratory, metabolic, neuromuscular or environmental parameters in auto racing drivers. All the different auto racing categories were included. Main findings were then extracted and reported. In addition, to provide a novel environmental physiology perspective, environmental and weather data were retrieved from official databases regarding the race day of the Formula 1 (F1) 2023, and a thermal risk map based on the universal thermal climate index (UTCI) was created.
RESULTS:
Nineteen studies were found clearly reporting data regarding the metabolic, cardiovascular and/or thermoregulatory responses to driving. Oxygen consumption during driving has been reported usually being between 22 and 39 mL.kg-1.min-1, and peak heart rate can range from 88 to 197 b.min-1, with a large variability depending on the type of car, competition, speed and circuit, and environmental conditions. In F1 some data suggest that mean heart rate can be 77% of the maximum. Dehydration can further pose a challenge to these athletes, typically exceeding 1 L.h-1. Thermal strain is of particular relevance in this sport, as drivers face increases in core body temperature of 1.7 – 2.5 °C/h-1, in closed cockpit temperature up to 66 °C and physiological strain index (PSI) > 6. On 22 F1 racing events, 7 were classified as “moderate risk”, and 1 was at “strong risk”.
CONCLUSION:
This review supports the definition of the auto racing driver as an athlete competing at high-intensity and in extreme conditions typically characterized by the need of fast and strong neuromuscular responses, the capacity to resist to high accelerations (> 3.5 g), resulting in high metabolic demands, cardiovascular responses, and the necessity to cope with the increased body temperature and fluid losses. In the context of a changing world, with the challenges posed by global warming and climate change, it might be become even more important to promote studies and bring even more sports science and medicine “in the paddock”.