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. Sports like sprinting and discus do not work the CV system very much at all, as muscles do not use oxygen in fast powerful events. However, there are a good few sports that require the CV system to be working well. Below we look at three of the best sports for developing CV fitness.
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. On top of this, there isn’t a muscle in the body that is not required during the action of cross country skiing, meaning that the CV system needs to work overtime to provide them all with fuel. 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. This means that his body was able to take in and process more oxygen per minute than almost any other athlete on the planet. 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. 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 due to the fact that large amounts of energy are required by the upper body for quite long periods of time, which not only means high oxygen demand, but also lots of bi-products that need removing. For second hand kayaks and extreme sports equipment check out EST.