VO2 Max

I had someone contact me around improving their VO2 max, which made me realise I hadn’t got an article on it despite my recent posts on aerobic training methods, mitochondria and zone 2 training.

What is VO2 & Why Does It Even Matter?

The maximum volume of oxygen you can use (VO2 max) is a measure of your body’s ability to use oxygen during exercise. The more oxygen you can use the better, and the fitter you will be. It’s a reflection of your fitness but as it is calculated by dividing by your weight, it also tracks body composition. The score rewards you for being fit and lean. 

The reason it is important is that it one of the strongest markers of long-term health we have. Studies show those in the top 25% of VO2 scores can have up to a 5x lower mortality risk compared to those in the bottom 25%. If you are in the top 2% of VO2 max, then you will have a several fold less mortality rate even compared with averagely fit people. 

It is correlated with life expectancy, quality of life years and how well you function as you age. It’s a cornerstone metric for both performance and longevity. 

Measurement Issues with VO2 Max

So, if we know VO2 is important, the next question is how to measure it. The only truly accurate way is a lab test. These cost £200-£300, where you will wear a mask while on a treadmill or bike. The mask allows them to measure your oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange. While the test will give you an accurate measurement it has drawbacks outside of price. It assumes you turn up on that day in good form, motivation and the face mask does not disrupt performance. 

Another way to measure it is using a smart watch, e.g. Garmin, Whoop. These are good in that they will give you a score based on numerous training sessions rather than just how you perform that one day you went to the lab. There seems to be an ok correlation from watches to lab data. 

A huge issue with both testing methods is that they only really work if you are a runner or a cyclist. If your fitness comes from other forms such as H.I.I.T, boxing, racket or team sports etc then the data is not so good. Your test data will show lower than your true oxygen utilisation capacity. Even within running, your heart rate readings fluctuate with temperature, fatigue, whether you’ve eaten, or if you’re cross-training which can affect VO2 max score over time. Hyrox training, for example, completely skews the data because the runs come after the exercises that smash your body.

My advice is to use your VO2 max score as a general guide alongside tying it to an objective measure, e.g. best 5km run time, 10-mile cycle. They should both be improving at the same time.er, not a life score.

Easy Ways to Improve VO2?

The good news is you can easily improve your score. All you need to do is stimulate a fitness response in your body, which depends on your current levels. If your VO2 max is very low, say in the 20s, you could make progress on literally five minutes of exercise a week. You can increase it by walking, as long as you start giving your body a consistent aerobic stimulus.

For most people, to increase their score they just need to be consistent. The biggest difference between fit and unfit people isn’t intensity, it’s frequency. If you currently average one workout a week, average two a week for 6 months and you will see real progress.

You should look to do VO2 max training sessions. These sessions are designed to increase your fitness, aimed at people who already have a base level of ability. A famous session is the 4×4 method, where you go four minutes hard, follow by four minutes easy, and repeat this four times. You can also use pyramid intervals, hill sprints or fartlek runs. The main idea is to spend time near your max effort without fully blowing up.

It must be mentioned again that VO2 is also factoring in your weight, every bit of fat you drop effectively raises your score. It can be very hard to impossible to get a high score if you are carrying too much extra Kg’s

Higher Levels VO2 Max Score

Once you reach a decent fitness level, VO2 isn’t built just through occasional interval or targeted sessions. You need all the techniques, Zone 2 for your aerobic base, threshold work for sustained efforts, and VO2 max work for peak output. Each trains a different part of your aerobic system, and when they’re layered together properly, your performance jumps. 

It’s worth remembering VO2 max isn’t everything. Two runners with the same VO2 can have wildly different race results because running economy, muscle efficiency and skill all matter too. If VO2 was the only metric that counted, races would be decided before the start line.

What This Means For You

VO2 max has become a buzz word these days cos of Peter Attia, live forever vampire wannabe Bryan Johnson and every other biohacker out there. But it really is a key metric and a huge element of your health so you should be trying to improve it. 

You do not need a fancy watch or anything to track it, simply time how long it takes you to cover a distance by foot or bike. Then re-test it again in a few months to see if you have beaten it. The simplest test for this is my 1 km test I wrote about a while ago.

My VO2 max is 56 at the moment, and I set a personal best in Hyrox Gdansk in Poland this weekend (1.14.35). I took 13 seconds offf my previous best time in London (when my vo2 max was 58), placing me top 16% in my age group. A nice result after a good training block and I am now placed to really push things onwards.

Photo – Some shots from Hyrox Gdansk this weekend: 

Need Support Getting In Shape?

Changing your body on your own without support or an effective system usually ends in failure sadly. To avoid this outcome you can become one of my coaching clients either online or in person. I provide Holistic, Healthy & Sustainable Body Transformations. Contact me to discuss your goals further or see below for more details and the options available to you based on your location / preferences:

Worldwide (Online) – For transformations, coaching and support wherever you are in the world read more here>>>>

London (Battersea) – If looking for Personal Training Battersea please contact me. I am available for sessions in homes, private gyms or Personal Training Battersea Park. To see my locations please visit my Battersea Personal Trainer page>> 

London (Oval / Kennington) – For Personal Training in Oval & Kennington please  contact me. I am available for sessions in homes, private gyms or parks.

**************

Read My Book – The Grand Unified Theory of Weight Loss – My latest book is available in print, kindle/ebook and audio formats. You can read more about it and see where it is available here>>> 

Follow Me – You can get more great advice, tips, hacks and more by following me on one of my social media channels. Follow Me>>>

Instagram>> You Tube>>   Facebook>>  Twitter>> Tik Tok>>   My Weekly Newsletter>>

**************