Driving a racecar may look pretty easy, physically speaking. I mean, drivers are sitting down, right?

But a new study has shown that racecar drivers exert as much energy and endure similar physical stress levels as team sport athletes such as basketball and football players.

Researchers found that racecar drivers use up as much as 13 times the amount of oxygen during a race than when at rest. That's comparable to running an 8- to 10-minute mile or riding a bicycle at 20-22 miles per hour, according to the study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.

"The findings of this study suggest that professional open-wheel racing drivers should be regarded as athletes that encounter significant physiological stresses," wrote Patrick Jacobs, researcher at the University of Miami School of Medicine.