Lara Carlson presents research during Performance Racing Industry trade show in Indianapolis
Lara Carlson, DPE, FACSM, CSCS, associate professor in the University of New England Department of Physical Therapy and the Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences, recently presented her research as an invited speaker at the International Council of Motorsport Science (ICMS) during the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) 2016 trade show on December 7 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The PRI event attracts more than 50,000 attendees from more than 72 countries and hosts more than 3,000 exhibitor booths. Carlson also attended the Grand Opening Breakfast with four-time Indy 500 Champion Rick Mears and four-time NASCAR Spring Cup Champion Jeff Gordon to hear about their racing experiences. Carlson’s presentation, “Hydration Status & Thermoregulatory Responses in Motorsports Drivers During Competitive Racing” was presented to medical, scientific, and educational professionals concerned with the performance and safety in motorsport.
The ICMS is an organization that promotes research and discussion related to safety and performance in motorsports and disseminates that information to the motorsport participant, race team management and the organizing bodies and federations including NASCAR, Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), Indy Racing League, etc.
Carlson published the first study that quantified the thermoregulatory and physiological challenges associated with competitive stock car racing in 2014. Since then, Carlson has continued collaborating with the U. S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM) on the project since a similar predicament exists with military personnel (aviation pilots, soldiers in armored vehicles, etc.). Carlson’s study confirmed that completing physical tasks in elevated cabin temperatures (racecar cockpit) with the addition of protective uniforms, which hinders evaporative cooling, results in significant stress: increased thermal stress, cardiovascular strain, and fluid losses. “Without a fluid replacement strategy, fluid losses for these drivers may exceed 3% body weight and it could negatively impact driving performance,” Carlson said. “Drivers are athletes and we should advocate for their safety and performance when competing in their sport.”
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