TURNS out professional race-car drivers can run with the best of them. For the first time, researchers have measured the heart rate and oxygen consumption of drivers during high-speed sessions – and have found that their cardiovascular health equals that of premier athletes in traditional sports such as football, baseball, soccer and basketball.
The study challenges commonly held perceptions that sitting down and driving isn’t a real sport, said lead author Patrick L. Jacobs, an associate professor at Miami’s Department of Neurological Surgery.