Boost Your Cardio Vascular Ability With These Sports

 

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. 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. Some sports however do ask a lot of the CV system. 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. 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. 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 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 surfboards check out EST.

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