‘Seacoast Online’ interviews Lara Carlson about research on racecar drivers

Lara Carlson

Lara Carlson, DPE., associate professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and the Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences, was recently interviewed by Seacoast Online about her research on the effects of body stress on racecar drivers.

Carlson discussed how her late brother, who used to race stock cars, inspired her to learn more about what drivers’ bodies go through while racing.

“This type of stress is even more evident in higher speed racing as a tremendous physical effort is required to counter G-forces while working the pedals and wheel for three to four hours at exceptional speeds,” Carlson stated in the article. “The research determined that core and skin temperatures increased from pre- to post-race, whereas the core-to-skin temperature gradient decreased from a pre-race to post-race. This indicates that more blood flow is being directed to the skin surface, which further stresses cardiovascular function. And when the core-to-skin temperature gradient decreases, it becomes more challenging for the body to dissipate heat. The body becomes more of a heat storage vessel.”

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