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. The more efficient and well trained the CV system is, the greater the intensity or duration of exercise can be. 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. 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. 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. Riding a bike, especially in competitive road racing, can cause the heart and lungs to work overtime as they attempt to feed the large leg muscles. 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, if you’re thinking about getting rid of your old cycling machine or mountain bikes, you might want to think again.
Kayaking. Despite the fact a kayaker uses their lower body very little in this sport compared to most aerobically demanding disciplines, his or her CV system still gets a pounding. 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. For second hand kayaks and extreme sports equipment check out EST.
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