ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the physiological systems associated with motorsports performance and the challenges placed upon those systems during the course of competition. It addresses the specific physiological systems and includes the cardiovascular system, the mechanisms of thermoregulation and the muscular system. The chapter examines the challenges of G-forces and G-loading encountered by the driver. It also examines each of these individual parts and describes the impact that the stress of racing exacts on each. Two of the biggest concerns are fluid loss, which can impact the overall function of the cardiovascular system and the driver-athlete’s performance. The chapter addresses here the changes that occur in the circulating blood volume and in the vasculature as a result of prolonged heat stress. The things that a driver does in the car that challenge the muscular system reads like a laundry list: maintaining position in the seat, the work of steering, pressing the pedals, keeping the combined head-and-helmet.
