Want To Improve Your CV Fitness?
By FTS_author on Sep 14, 2009 in Absolute Gut Busting Workout Tips
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. A CV system that is in good shape will allow an athlete to work harder and for longer periods of time. 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. Here are 3 of the top sports for this type of fitness.
Skiing. It has been proven that cross-country skiing demands more of the cardio vascular system than any other sport. The is partly due to the cold air reducing the amount of oxygen that can be absorbed by the lungs (forcing them to be even more efficient), but also races take place over many miles and difficult terrain. Also, cross country skiing uses nearly every single muscle in the body which means energy demands on the heart and lungs is very high. So if you’re looking to build your CV system, switch your snowboards for skis next time you’re on the slopes.
Cycling. The sport of cycling (specifically road riding) is one tough exercise on the heart and lungs. The 7 time Tour De France winner Lance Armstrong is testament to that, having one of the highest VO2 max scores of any athlete. This refers to the amount of 02 that the body can take in and the muscles can use in 1 minute. Based on that evidence, next time you’re clearing out your sports equipment and come across you bike, think twice before getting rid of it.
Kayaking. This is a sport that demands an incredible amount from the heart and lungs, despite there being comparatively little movement of the lower body taking place. This is because during middle to long distance races, the upper body and torso work so hard that incredible amounts of oxygen are required to keep going and muscle waste products are also produced in bucket loads.
