Abstract: A camshaft, especially for high-power internal-combustion engines, has bearing points and cams consisting of a base circle and a cam face. The bearing points and cams are connected to one another by non-cylindrical shank portions. In order to increase the bending resistance of the camshaft and, at the same time, to provide a predetermined necessary clearance for machining tools, a shank portion between two cams is made barrel-shaped, with a maximum diameter which is located in the middle region of the shank portion and which is equal to or less than the diameter of the base circle.