Heart rate profiling in formula 1 race: A real-time case

Aim. — To assess the heart rate (HR) responses of a F1 driver during an official driving session and an entire Grand Prix race (GP). Materials and methods. — One professional driver (24 years old, height: 176 cm; weight: 64 kg) was recruited for this study during the Grand Prix of Albert Park Melbourne Australia 2013 season of the F1 World Championship. The participant was monitored for HR values throughout qualification and race. The HR was recorded in the interval: 45-min-before through 30-min-after the qualification/race period. Results. — During the qualification period, the HR was ∼77% of the HRmax (154 ± 29 bpm). In particular, HR peaked around 94—99% of HRmax. During the race, the HR was constantly between 74 and 82% of HRmax (from 148 to 163 bpm), peaking around 92% of HRmax. Conclusions. — Our data could pave the way to increase knowledge about HR trends during specific phases of an official F1 competition. The ultimate goal would be to customize training periodicity, which is critical for sports scientists and coaches.