Lara Carlson presents research during Performance Racing Industry trade show in Indianapolis

Lara Carlson at Lucas Oil Stadium with Olympic lifting coach Leo Totten and is his former athlete, Tom Martin
Lara Carlson at Lucas Oil Stadium with Olympic lifting coach Leo Totten and is his former athlete, Tom Martin

Lara Carlson, DPE, FACSM, CSCS, associate professor in the University of New England Department of Physical Therapy and the Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences, recently presented her research as an invited speaker at the International Council of Motorsport Science (ICMS) during the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) 2016 trade show on December 7 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The PRI event attracts more than 50,000 attendees from more than 72 countries and hosts more than 3,000 exhibitor booths. Carlson also attended the Grand Opening Breakfast with four-time Indy 500 Champion Rick Mears and four-time NASCAR Spring Cup Champion Jeff Gordon to hear about their racing experiences. Carlson’s presentation, “Hydration Status & Thermoregulatory Responses in Motorsports Drivers During Competitive Racing” was presented to medical, scientific, and educational professionals concerned with the performance and safety in motorsport.

The ICMS is an organization that promotes research and discussion related to safety and performance in motorsports and disseminates that information to the motorsport participant, race team management and the organizing bodies and federations including NASCAR, Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), Indy Racing League, etc.

Carlson published the first study that quantified the thermoregulatory and physiological challenges associated with competitive stock car racing in 2014. Since then, Carlson has continued collaborating with the U. S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM) on the project since a similar predicament exists with military personnel (aviation pilots, soldiers in armored vehicles, etc.). Carlson’s study confirmed that completing physical tasks in elevated cabin temperatures (racecar cockpit) with the addition of protective uniforms, which hinders evaporative cooling, results in significant stress: increased thermal stress, cardiovascular strain, and fluid losses. “Without a fluid replacement strategy, fluid losses for these drivers may exceed 3% body weight and it could negatively impact driving performance,” Carlson said. “Drivers are athletes and we should advocate for their safety and performance when competing in their sport.”

To learn more about the University of New England’s Westbrook College of Health Professions visit www.une.edu/wchp

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About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.