In terms of what body parts they train, while they focus on all muscle groups, they highlight the importance of training their neck and core muscles. Most of them train around 5-6 days, putting emphasis on their cardio, because as mentioned earlier, cardiovascular endurance is key to winning in racing. Drivers also train constantly in order to strengthen their body. On the other hand, being overweight may require you to switch to another class in order to level the playing field, and the possibility of getting disqualified also looms. In some cases, being underweight can disqualify go-kart drivers. Thus, a driver must have ballasts (a heavy substance) when driving the kart to prevent the driver from gaining an unfair advantage. Even the smallest difference between weight can drastically affect a go-kart as mentioned earlier. There is also a regulation aspect to it, as drivers must abide to a certain weight limit when competing at the national or international level. So how exactly do go-kart drivers stay fit? For starters, they stay on a diet, as according to one go-kart driver, “weight is everything in motorsports racing.” Being in a certain weight affects how a kart handles and how one handles it. Setting a fast lap is one thing but being able to consistently set quick lap times is what separates good drivers, from great ones, and can ultimately decide whether you win or lose. Lastly, cardiovascular is one of, if not, the most important attribute a go-kart driver must possess. You may also miss your braking points by braking too early or too late, due to the fact that you may not have the strength to apply pressure on the brakes. Without it, you may see yourself losing out on corners of the circuit by a massive margin simply because you lack the strength to turn into a corner. As mentioned earlier, while go-karting is simply pressing a few pedals and turning the wheel, a lot of physical strength is required in order to so. Another point of emphasis is how much strength is required to handle a fast go-kart. The faster the corner, the more g-forces a driver is put on. These g-forces are multiplied when a go-kart is turning. These are known as g-forces, which, to put it simply, is the force of gravity or acceleration being put on the body. The forces that go-kart drivers feel when hurling the kart around the circuit is immense. There are many more reasons as to why go-karting is physical. So much so, that former F1 driver Romain Grosjean believes it is much harder than Formula 1 because “you are always on the limit compared to Formula 1 where drivers are not usually on the limit as they have to manage tires and fuel among others.” The same can be said for go-karting, which is the breeding ground for racing drivers. But the truth is, as simple as it sounds, motorsports is a very physically demanding sport. After all, you press a few pedals every now and then, turn the wheel, and do it over and over again. A common misconception when it comes to motorsports, is that anyone can do it, or that it requires little to no effort.
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