Effects of Aging on Healing (Track-Related)
- Thread starter nsxtasy
- Start date
Dear KeN,
Sorry for the delayed reply. Ironically I was working the night trauma shift this week which is what I do 26 weeks a year. Very glad to hear that you and Kathy were not seriously hurt in the accident.
The short answer to your question about the "effects of aging on the ability to recover from a track incident"....it's all negative. The older you are, the longer it takes and the more likely you'll get injured in the first place.
For those of you reading this, a quick word on my professions.
I'm a radiologist who specializes in trauma at Orlando Regional Medical Center, a level 1 trauma center serving east central Florida. On any average evening/night I will interpret plain X-rays and CAT scans on 10-15 major life threatening trauma cases, the vast majority being traffic accidents. There is no question that given the same severity of trauma, age is one of the most important factors for determining outcome. The younger you are, the better you'll do.
I'm also the CEO of Chin Motorsports, one of the largerst provider of HPDE events in the US with over 54 track days scheduled for 2011. We have had over 25,000 drivers participate in our events since 2000. Even with our emphasis on safety and our careful selection of instructors and participants, incidents do happen.
Unfortunately as we age, our bodies slowly lose the physiologic reserve to tolerate trauma. Our hearts are not able to stand the surge of epinephrine that occurs, our blood vessels are not as elastic and cannot clamp down as quickly to stop bleeding, and our bones are less compliant and more likely to fracture. Even our soft tissues are less resilient and more likely to bruise and tear. Even something as simple as falling down and breaking a hip has a MORTALITY rate of 15%! It's not just the hip fracture...it's the stress that that places on the rest of the body which already has little reserve.
That being said, unless someone can stop this process, it will effect us all. So what to do? Stop driving? Stop walking so you won't fall?
As I've often said, the body doesn't wear out, it "rests" out. Prepare before you go to the track. Stay in good physical health. Exercise. Stay well hydrated. Eat well. Take care of the only body you'll have.
On the track.....stack it your favor as well. If you're instructing, make sure you're in control. Mental control is as important as physical control. While that might not prevent an incident, it can reduce your chances of having a bad one. Wear a HANS device. Wear the proper fitting helmet. Use a communicator/headset. Wear fire resistent clothing....and don't forget fire resistent gloves. When the car is on fire you want to GET OUT. That means using your hands to open things which may already be on fire. Get safety equipment for your car. If you track alot, consider harnesses, a proper fitting seat, and a roll bar/cage.
In summary, the risk of life is death. Aging is inevitable but it's better than the alternative. And it's stuff like the adrenaline rush of driving at the track that makes life worth living. Take all of it in stride and manage your life accordingly!
Sorry for the delayed reply. Ironically I was working the night trauma shift this week which is what I do 26 weeks a year. Very glad to hear that you and Kathy were not seriously hurt in the accident.
The short answer to your question about the "effects of aging on the ability to recover from a track incident"....it's all negative. The older you are, the longer it takes and the more likely you'll get injured in the first place.
For those of you reading this, a quick word on my professions.
I'm a radiologist who specializes in trauma at Orlando Regional Medical Center, a level 1 trauma center serving east central Florida. On any average evening/night I will interpret plain X-rays and CAT scans on 10-15 major life threatening trauma cases, the vast majority being traffic accidents. There is no question that given the same severity of trauma, age is one of the most important factors for determining outcome. The younger you are, the better you'll do.
I'm also the CEO of Chin Motorsports, one of the largerst provider of HPDE events in the US with over 54 track days scheduled for 2011. We have had over 25,000 drivers participate in our events since 2000. Even with our emphasis on safety and our careful selection of instructors and participants, incidents do happen.
Unfortunately as we age, our bodies slowly lose the physiologic reserve to tolerate trauma. Our hearts are not able to stand the surge of epinephrine that occurs, our blood vessels are not as elastic and cannot clamp down as quickly to stop bleeding, and our bones are less compliant and more likely to fracture. Even our soft tissues are less resilient and more likely to bruise and tear. Even something as simple as falling down and breaking a hip has a MORTALITY rate of 15%! It's not just the hip fracture...it's the stress that that places on the rest of the body which already has little reserve.
That being said, unless someone can stop this process, it will effect us all. So what to do? Stop driving? Stop walking so you won't fall?
As I've often said, the body doesn't wear out, it "rests" out. Prepare before you go to the track. Stay in good physical health. Exercise. Stay well hydrated. Eat well. Take care of the only body you'll have.
On the track.....stack it your favor as well. If you're instructing, make sure you're in control. Mental control is as important as physical control. While that might not prevent an incident, it can reduce your chances of having a bad one. Wear a HANS device. Wear the proper fitting helmet. Use a communicator/headset. Wear fire resistent clothing....and don't forget fire resistent gloves. When the car is on fire you want to GET OUT. That means using your hands to open things which may already be on fire. Get safety equipment for your car. If you track alot, consider harnesses, a proper fitting seat, and a roll bar/cage.
In summary, the risk of life is death. Aging is inevitable but it's better than the alternative. And it's stuff like the adrenaline rush of driving at the track that makes life worth living. Take all of it in stride and manage your life accordingly!
