The drivers of the premier class are subjected to psycho-physical stress that is comparable only to top guns or F1 drivers. Here’s what they do during races to hydrate.
When racing to the limit on a MotoGP prototype, many factors must be considered. On a physical level, you need to be very well trained to manage the stresses of a vehicle which, when not perfect, can become a wild bull. The accelerations are brutal and the braking sections are so strong that they require an impressive effort.
Fatigue is notable, especially after a long journey. The calendar of the premier class has also been enriched with Sprint Races since last year. These are challenges that last half the duration of the Grand Prix and take place the day before. Riders, in a weekend, lose weight and proper nutrition and hydration, as well as constant training, become essential. All year round the centaurs prepare to face the world championships in the best possible way.
To always be concentrated on their bikes, riders need sodium, magnesium, calcium and potassium. Not only is the effort exhausting on the bike, but there is a lot of work that the riders do together with the engineers to analyze the data and choose the best set-up. There is also the component linked to performance anxiety. For many, MotoGP is a stable point of arrival, but from mid-grid down the riders have to fight to hold on to the dream. Motorsport is a world where the second are the first losers.
Hydration of MotoGP riders
To get to the top and stay there, champions must have a very strong mentality. A healthy life must be led and every effort must be replenished with the right intake of liquids. Doctor Massimo Corbascio explained to Inabottle.com what professional motorcyclists must do before a race: “Each rider has their own habits and adopts a personalized athletic preparation. Many have their own physiotherapist and are supported by personal trainers who are experts in sports medicine”. The modern premier class represents the non plus ultra and everything must be taken care of down to the smallest detail. Dramas are always around the corner.
Doctor Massimo Corbascio was the head of the Mobile Superbike Clinic and from 2000 to 2005 he was a health specialist for the Imola stage of Formula 1. “In the morning and during the race we recommend that pilots slowly hydrate (200-400 ml) every 30-40 minutes of iso-hypotonic type, i.e. water with fewer salts. After the race to replenish the salts lost through sweatwe instead recommend hypertonic hydration, with a greater presence of salts in the water”, explained the doctor.
In each stage a rider ends up losing 2 to 3% of body weight in fluids. “Particularly in Superbike, the riders lose from 800 ml to 2 liters of water during the 2 heats, and on the day of the Grand Prix, they drink from 2 to 4 liters of water,” analyzed the specialist. Heart rates in MotoGP are also higher.
During a 45 minute race the heart rate is around 200 beats per minute. The most important substances during physical activity are sodium, magnesium, calcium and potassium. The centaurs inside their “hump” have a tank of half a liter of water, connected to the helmet with a straw, thanks to which they can drink when they are on a straight line.
