Porsche Team factory race driver, Mark Webber, will be heading a unique series of workshops at the Porsche Human Performance Centre at Silverstone this coming weekend, where he will share insight to developing and sustaining a winning edge.

This is the seventh year that the nine-time Grand Prix winner and World Endurance Championship (WEC) star has supported ‘Get Race Fit’. The brainchild of Andy Blow and Eliot Chalifour from the Porsche Human Performance Centre, and Webber, they have developed the concept into a two-day training seminar that has been proven to make a significant contribution to performing at a high level, whether on road or track.

Just as technology transfer from track to road underpins the development of every Porsche sports car, so the relevance of the ‘Get Race Fit’ teachings have broad application beyond racing on four wheels. Indeed, participants in equestrian sports looking to improve their performance on four legs and racing motorcyclists seeking an advantage on two-wheels have already signed up for this year’s event.

The theme for 2015 is ‘Learning from Experience’. This is very appropriate, for collectively between Webber (who races a 919 Hybrid Porsche LMP1 in the WEC and the Le Mans 24 Hours), his fellow guest speakers and the team at the Porsche Human Performance Centre, there is a vast amount of knowledge to be shared.

Joining the team for the weekend event 21 – 22 February to further enhance the learning experience will be 2009 Le Mans winner David Brabham and 2014 Porsche Carrera Cup GB Champion Josh Webster.

The first day will offer one hour workshops covering the following themes:

1. Torso training for motor sport
2. Speed, Power, Agility, Quickness for motor sport
3. Nutrition for sport and maintaining an optimal body composition
4. Strength and Conditioning for motor sport
5. Sports psychology and mental preparation for motor sport
6. Q&A session with Mark Webber, David Brabham, Josh Webster – facilitated by Andy Blow, head of the Porsche Human Performance Centre

Each workshop is focussed on learning the exercise techniques and theory through practical sessions. These are designed to suit all ability levels and participants take part at their own pace. For each session, participants will be provided with a list of the exercises, progressions and the key technical coaching points.

There is also the option on 22 February for a few participants to extend the ‘Get Race Fit’ course and put into practice some of the techniques. The programme will include WattBike cycling, improving foot mechanics, a strength and conditioning session and flexibility development.

The cost of this one-of-a-kind event is £295 for the Saturday, 21 February and it is possible to extend this to a full weekend for £495. To book please call 01327 855074 or e-mail us at php@porsche.co.uk. The limited number of places on offer will be sold on a first come, first served basis.

In addition to advising top class athletes from a variety of sporting backgrounds, the Porsche Human Performance Centre offers consultation services to all participants attending courses at the Porsche Experience Centre Silverstone.

The Porsche Experience Centre is a world-class driving facility adjacent to the famous GP race circuit in Northamptonshire, UK, where the latest Porsche road car technology can be experienced first-hand as part of the customer purchase process.

The Human Performance Centre can further improve individual enjoyment of a high performance road car with advice on hydration and exercise during long journeys, driver’s seat posture, overall guidance on strength and conditioning, and lifestyle choices.

Porsche Human Performance Centre enjoys international recognition

Since it opened in 2008, the expertise at the Porsche Human Performance Centre has become widely appreciated by athletes at all levels, but it has a particularly high reputation among professional race drivers; including Webber’s Porsche team-mate Brendon Hartley.

Ahead of racing the 919 Hybrid LMP1 prototype for the first time in the temperature of Bahrain and the humidity of Brazil last year, Brendon visited the Human Performance Centre for a session of heat acclimation exercises.

Essentially, Brendon was assessed to check how much fluid he loses through sweat, and at what rate he then needs to replenish his vital minerals and salt levels. And this was then tested under stress in the 40 degree heat of a specially-designed exercise room. The Porsche Human Performance Centre uses advanced technology to analyse the driver’s physiology and then calculate a programme to maintain peak performance under high stress physical conditions.

The 10 steps are as follows:

1. Inducement – extract sweat sample, from the forearm, by using electrodes to stimulate the sweat gland to contract, as it would during exercise
2. Collection – this uses a macro-duct to accumulate sufficient sweat for analysis
3. Analysis – run sweat sample through analyser, to study concentration of electrolyte and sodium in the sweat. These results are used to prescribe an electrolyte replacement drink, which matches that lost via sweating
4. Body composition analysis – building on the sweat test date, a ‘bio-electrical impedence’ device is used to run an electrical current through the body. From the rate of resistance as this travels through muscle, fat, bone and water, a picture is presented of the muscle:fat mass of the body.
5. Hydration – a record of overall weight and water content of the body is of key importance ahead of the next stage, exercising in the bespoke heat chamber. Hydration status is checked via a urine sample.
6. Heat chamber – a one hour session, exercising on a WattBike in 40 degrees temperature, begins. Every five minutes a heart rate measurement is taken, and the core body temperature is monitored via an ear lobe thermometer.
7. Rating of perceived exertion – during the session, a rating of perceived exertion is taken from the athlete (a subjective view of how hard he’s working), which is cross-referenced with the objective data relating to heart rate and temperature. There are two valuable lessons to this process: ahead of a race, there is benefit in the driver knowing what it is like to be hot, sweaty and uncomfortable – but in a safe environment first. Secondly, it is useful for the driver to gauge a rating of his perceived exertion as there is no one in the cockpit telling him his core temperature!
8. The heat chamber exercise is repeated five times over a week or so, with the athlete building up to a safe and tolerable limit. Via this process, he gains insight to his own performance threshold, and how he might train to raise it.
9. Calculating fluid loss – outside the heat chamber, a measure is taken of body weight. This data is cross-referenced with a record of fluid intake, which helps calculate how much was lost in sweat. This gives an idea of how much liquid he needs to drink on an hourly basis during a race. And not only volume, but also the composition and concentration of electrolytes to re-hydrate with.
10. It is important to carry out these acclimation exercises as close to the race as possible, so you can remember it and be prepared for it. The body needs stimulus to get the full benefit – and exposure to heat – for maximum adaptation.