VO2 Max: What Is It, Why It Matters And How To Improve It

What Is VO2 Max | How It's Measured | What's A Good Score | VO2 By Age | VO2 Max Charts | Health Benefits | How To Improve VO2 Max | Tracking VO2 Max | FAQs

You've heard of VO2 max, but do you know what it means? VO2 max is one of the most important measures of cardiovascular fitness and longevity, but many people aren't sure about VO2 max meaning – or how to improve their score.

Whether you're a runner or just want to improve your health and fitness, understanding your VO2 max can help you train smarter and make better progress.

• VO2 max measures how efficiently your body uses oxygen

• A higher VO2 max is linked to endurance, longevity, and overall health

• VO2 max Is affected by age and sex, so comparisons should be relative

• VO2 max training should include a mix of steady cardio, zone 2 cardio, and interval training

Let’s start with the basics: what is VO2 max?

VO2 max refers to the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during intense exercise. Relative VO2 max is measured as millilitres of oxygen per kg of bodyweight per minute (V is volume, O2 is oxygen, and max is maximum rate), while absolute VO2 max measures total maximum oxygen uptake per minute.

VO2 max is seen as the gold standard for measuring aerobic fitness, but it’s not just indicative of fitness. VO2 max is one of the strongest and most modifiable predictor of longevity and all-cause mortality – in other words, higher VO2 max is associated with lower death rates.

For a clinically accurate result, VO2 max can be measured using specialist equipment in a lab. During the testing, you’ll be required to exercise while wearing a breathing mask and heart rate monitor. Usually performed on a treadmill or stationery bike, the intensity of the exercise increases until you reach your maximum. The mask measures VO2 max by comparing the amount of oxygen breathed in vs carbon dioxide breathed out.

VO2 max testing is ready available at many sports clinics and university labs but for most people, it’s an unnecessary cost. If you just want an idea of your VO2 max so you can track improvement over time, most wearable fitness trackers can provide an estimate using heart rate and GPS data.

You can also use the Cooper test to estimate your VO2 max. This involves recording the distance you can run in 12 minutes on a flat surface and using an online VO2 max calculator to see your score.

If you’re looking to improve your health and fitness, you’re probably wondering what should my VO2 max be, or what is a good VO2 max.

VO2 max is influenced by several factors and what is considered a good VO2 max varies between individuals. While VO2 max charts can be useful, tracking your own progress over time is more helpful than comparing yourself to others.

• Age: VO2 max typically reaches its highest in your twenties and begins to decline thereafter. Training can slow down the rate of decline but not prevent it completely.

• Sex: Males tend to have a higher VO2 max due to physiological differences including differences in heart size and muscle mass.

• Genetics: Our genes can have a big impact on our VO2 max. Genes influence heart size, muscle composition, energy production, and more, with one study finding genetics account for up to 50% of your VO2 max.

• Body weight: Relative VO2 max measures oxygen uptake per kg of bodyweight which means the more you weigh, the lower your relative VO2 max will be.

• Body composition: Muscle tissue uses oxygen during exercise while fat does not, so someone with more muscle mass will usually have a higher VO2 max than someone with more body fat.

• Fitness training: Your current training and fitness level impacts VO2 max and is the main factor that can be controlled.

VO2 max peaks in your twenties before beginning to decline at the rate of about 1% per year or 10% per decade. While some loss is natural due to changes in our physiology and biology as we age, the rate can be slowed down by up to 50% with regular aerobic exercise.

When looking at average VO2 max by age, you'll typically see:

• Higher values in younger adults

• Gradual decreases over time

• Wide variation based on activity levels

A VO2 max chart can be help to estimate your current fitness by comparing your score against your age and gender group.

There are separate charts for VO2 max women scores and men scores as men naturally have a higher VO2 max.

Knowing your VO2 max is commonly used by athletes but it is a useful metric for everyone due to its associated heath benefits.

Testing and tracking your VO2 max helps to assess cardiovascular fitness and endurance and determine whether your training is helping to improve these areas. If your VO2 stagnates or declines, it can be a sign that either your training isn't challenging enough or that you're overtraining. This information can guide your training strategy for better progress.

VO2 max is a strong predictor of long-term health and longevity and it is linked to cardiovascular health and endurance, which both protect against chronic heart and cardiovascular diseases. People with higher VO2 max scores are more likely to live longer, healthier lives.

Once you’ve got your score, you’ll probably want to know how to increase VO2 max. Consistent cardio training is key to improving your VO2 max – here’s what that looks like.

Effective VO2 max training is split across heart rate zones:

• Interval training (zone 4 and zone 5): high intensity cardio like sprint workouts, hill reps, track sessions, or >5k pace efforts.

• Steady-state cardio (zone 2 and 3): longer sessions at low to moderate intensity like steady cardio at a conversational pace.

Zone 2 training builds aerobic base and endurance while VO2 max intervals push your upper limits and improve oxygen use.

Including both is the most efficient way to improve your VO2 max. Experts believe the best cardio split to improve VO2 max is 70-80% zone 2 and zone 3 training and 20-30% zone 4 and zone 5 training.

Improving your VO2 max won't be an overnight win, so be patient. Most people start to see improvements within 4--8 weeks. Beginners will see a bigger increase in VO2 max, particularly in the first three months, while those who are already athletic will see small increases.

Consistency matters more than intensity, so find a cardio plan you can stick to and play the long game.

Wearable fitness trackers are an easy and accessible way to track VO2 max. They use a combination of heart rate and GPS data alongside algorithms to estimate your VO2 max, and can even give feedback based on your data.

Wearables are useful for tracking trends, but they’re not as accurate as a lab test. Use them as a guide rather than an exact measurement, and focus on long-term progress instead of single data points. And remember that anything you do to improve your VO2 max will have a positive impact on your fitness, cardiovascular health, and longevity – so it’s worth it, even if the data is slow to respond.