For those of you who don’t know CV (cardio vascular) fitness refers to the ability of the heart and lungs to provide the body with enough nutrients (mainly oxygen) for it to function during activity and remove waste products such as carbon dioxide and lactic acid also. Athletes with well developed CV systems will find that they do not fatigue as quickly and can work at higher intensities of exercise as well. Some sports such as weight lifting don’t develop the CV system very well as very little oxygen is required by the muscles. However, there are a good few sports that require the CV system to be working well. Lets take a closer look at 3 of the most demanding sports on the CV system.
Skiing. It has been proven that cross-country skiing demands more of the cardio vascular system than any other sport. This is down to the fact that not only do skiers have to ski for unbelievably long distances, but also the cold air makes it harder for the lungs to extract oxygen. Additionally, because almost all the muscles of the body are working at the same time in this sport, the CV system need to be in great shape to make sure each of them gets the nutrients they need. So if you’re looking to build your CV system, switch your snowboards for skis next time you’re on the slopes.
Cycling. Racing bikes at high level puts vast amounts of pressure of the heart and lungs due to the large muscle groups that are required to work. The 7 time Tour De France winner Lance Armstrong is testament to that, having one of the highest VO2 max scores of any athlete. VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen that can be delivered and used by muscles in one minute. Based on that evidence, if you’re thinking about getting rid of your old cycling machine or second hand bikes, you might want to think again.
Kayaking. Although kayaking does not use the lower body as much as other sports do, it still punishes the heart and lungs more than most. This is largely down to the fact that kayakers use their upper-bodies a vast amount and there are hundreds of smaller muscles here demanding the large supply of oxygen and removal of lots of carbon dioxide. For second hand kayaks and surfboards check out EST.
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