The Basics of VO2 Max

What is VO2 Max?

VO2 max measures the maximum amount of oxygen your body uses while exercising. When doing aerobic exercises, we use oxygen and once our body has used all of its oxygen, it switches to anaerobic respiration. The higher your VO2 max score is, the better, and indicates how physically fit a person is. Knowing your VO2 max score can help you understand your overall fitness level and determine how to improve it. A high VO2 max score indicates a well-conditioned aerobic system and good cardiovascular health. With a well-conditioned aerobic system and good cardiovascular health, a person can exercise, and their body will use oxygen for a longer period of time before making the switch to anaerobic respiration and tiring out your muscles after a longer period of time. This is how the VO2 max score connects to a person’s performance and longevity. 

VO2 max consists of three main components: lung capacity and heart volume, capillary delivery, and muscle efficiency. Lung capacity and heart volume relate to how much oxygen your lungs can intake leading to more oxygenated blood for the heart to pump out. The more oxygen and oxygenated blood, leads to a higher VO2 max score. Capillary delivery is when your circulatory system can transport more oxygenated blood to your muscles which also leads to a higher VO2 max score. The final component, muscle efficiency, is when your muscles are able to use more oxygen from your blood compiling to a higher score. All three of these components depend on each other in a chain-like motion. If you don’t have a high lung capacity and heart volume, your other two components will not be as efficient or elevated either. It takes all three components to work at high rates to create a high VO2 max score. 

There are two main types of VO2 max: absolute and relative. Absolute is the total amount of oxygen you inhale in liter per minute regardless of gender, age, weight, and height. Relative VO2 max is the amount of oxygen a person inhales compared to their weight, measured in milliliters per kilogram.

How does the VO2 Max test work?

For the VO2 max test, you are usually on a treadmill or a stationary cycle and hooked up to a mask with a tube connected to a machine that will measure the amount of oxygen you inhale compared to the amount of carbon dioxide you exhale. This test also records your heart rate. The amount of time it takes to complete the test varies from person to person. The test will end when the person has reached their maximum amount of oxygen consumption and the body switches to anaerobic respiration. The test starts at an easier level and continues to increase in difficulty until the person is unable to go any longer. The typical VO2 max test is measured as milliliters of oxygen you use per kilogram of body weight in one minute (mL/kg/min). 

Why does the VO2 Max matter? What does it mean?

VO2 max serves as a baseline to show people a measure of their aerobic fitness and general health level. The higher the difference between the amount of oxygen inhaled and carbon dioxide exhaled leads to a greater VO2 max score. If you have a high VO2 score then you are at a high level of cardiovascular system efficiency and your body is using oxygen highly efficiently. A person who takes this test can now see where their fitness level is at and if they need to improve or not. A person who scores lower and wants to improve their score can do so in many ways. 

How can you increase your VO2 Max? 

There are many ways a person can improve their VO2 max score such as HIIT training, performing any aerobic activity, switching between aerobic activities during a workout, etc. HIIT training or high-intensity interval training is the most common way to see improvements in your score. HIIT training is when you are doing an aerobic activity such as cycling, swimming, or running at high-intensity for a few minutes and then lower the intensity or give yourself a rest for a few minutes then go back to the high-intensity level. HIIT training consistently will allow your body to take in more oxygen and increase your VO2 max. Switching between aerobic activities during a workout can lead to improving your VO2 max score because you are doing the activity consistently, adjusting your body to needing higher levels of oxygen. Eventually, your body will be able to take in higher levels of oxygen which will increase your VO2 max. Finally, performing aerobic activities can help enhance your VO2 max because they will improve your cardiovascular system. While it isn’t the most effective method or quickest way to improve VO2 max it is a great approach to improving your overall fitness and VO2 max gradually. A person has many options when it comes to how they want to improve their VO2 max and all of them are viable and will help to accomplish a person’s goals. 

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