What is VO2 Max?
Key Takeaways
VO2 max is a measurement of your body’s ability to take in and use oxygen during exercise.
Higher VO2 max is strongly associated with a longer lifespan, as well as improved athletic performance.
Many researchers believe that higher VO2 max doesn’t directly affect lifespan, but rather acts as a marker for healthy behaviors (such as exercise).
The only way to directly measure VO2 max is in a controlled setting, using specialized exercise equipment.
Wearable devices can provide an estimate of VO2 max, but not a direct measurement.
VO2 max can be increased through exercise. Interval training is highly effective at improving VO2 max, and steady-state cardio also produces improvements.
When it comes to living longer, and living better, it’s not just about your weight, cholesterol, or even your blood pressure. One of the strongest predictors of both health and performance is something many people overlook: cardiovascular fitness. At the center of it all is a measurement called VO₂ max. Essentially, this is your body’s ability to use oxygen during exercise. Research shows that a higher VO₂ max isn’t just about running faster or climbing stairs without getting winded; it’s also tied to a longer lifespan and healthier years ahead. In this article, we’ll break down what VO₂ max really means, how to find out where you stand, and practical ways to boost it for both peak performance and longevity.
VO₂ Max Meaning
VO2 max refers to the maximum amount of oxygen that your body is able to take in and use during a session of intense exercise.
In the abbreviation, “V” stands for volume (which is the amount), “O2” is the chemical notation for an oxygen molecule (the oxygen that our bodies use as part of the energy generation process), and “max” stands for the maximum capacity.
Basically, VO2 max is a measurement of your fitness level. If you have a high VO2 max, then your heart and lungs are efficient at extracting oxygen from the air and transporting it around the body. Your muscles are also efficient at taking the oxygen out of the blood and using it.
While people with high levels of fitness will generally have a higher VO2 max than those who are less fit, there are also other factors that affect a person’s VO2 max, such as age, sex, and body weight. It’s important to interpret your VO2 max results in context, with these factors taken into account.
Why VO₂ Max Matters
People with a high VO2 max are able to do more intense exercise, and to sustain it for a longer period, than those with a lower VO2 max. That’s why VO2 max is so important for athletes. In virtually any sport, increasing your VO2 max helps to improve your performance, and measuring your VO2 max can help you to track your training progress.
Even for those who don’t choose to compete in athletic competitions, increasing your VO2 max can help you to be more functional in your daily life. For example, if you have a high VO2 max, you probably will have less trouble doing daily activities like walking up the stairs or carrying your grocery bags across a parking lot.
But VO2 max is even more important than this. Research has found a strong link between VO2 max and lifespan. Those who have a high VO2 max generally have a longer life expectancy than those with a lower VO2 max. A large part of this effect is due to a significantly lower risk of having a heart attack or stroke, but a high VO2 max is also associated with a lower risk of other conditions, including dementia and cancer.
This association is strong, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that a higher VO2 max directly causes an increased lifespan. Many researchers actually believe that this is actually not the case. In fact, research has shown that people with a genetically higher VO2 max don’t have an increased lifespan, compared with those who have a genetically lower VO2 max.
This isn’t because VO2 max doesn’t matter. Instead, VO2 max is acting as a marker for health choices that do cause increased lifespan. The choices that tend to increase VO2 max, such as getting plenty of exercise and maintaining a healthy body weight, are also choices that will increase your longevity. The increase in your VO2 max is a marker for making those healthy choices.
If you have a genetically high VO2 max, but you’re physically inactive and carrying a lot of excess fat tissue, then your lifespan will still likely be shortened by those choices. If your VO2 max is genetically lower, but you choose to exercise every day and stay in a healthy body weight range, then those choices will likely lengthen your lifespan.
Aging and VO₂ Max
As people age, VO2 max naturally declines a bit. On average, it goes down by about 1% per year after the age of about 25 to 30. After the age of 50, it may go down slightly faster – about 1.5% per year.
The declines in VO2 max are due to a number of different physiological changes, including:
Reduced maximal heart rate
Reduced stroke volume (how much blood the heart can pump with each beat)
Reduced elasticity of the lungs
Stiffening of arteries throughout the body
Reduced muscle mass
Fewer blood vessels within the muscles
Decline in the number and efficiency of mitochondria (the main energy-generating parts of cells)
Although this decline is very natural, this doesn’t mean that you’re powerless against it. A program of regular aerobic exercise can slow or even reverse this decline in VO2 max, especially if you include high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in your exercise plan. Although aging itself is inevitable, you can take steps to help keep yourself healthy and functional for as long as possible.
VO₂ Max Test
The most accurate way to test VO2 max is in a controlled setting, using specialized exercise equipment. The test is somewhat complex, but isn’t painful at all.
The test is conducted on a treadmill or stationary bike. Testing on a treadmill usually produces a somewhat higher VO2 max, because running uses more muscle groups and is more physically challenging than cycling. However, for those with mobility issues (such as arthritis), testing on a stationary bike is an acceptable alternative, and will still provide useful results. As long as you’re comparing your test results to the results of others taking the same type of test, they will be useful either way.
When doing the test, you’ll wear a heart rate monitor, along with a face mask. The mask is connected to equipment that can analyze gases within the air that you breathe out, including O2 (oxygen). You’ll do exercise of gradually increasing intensity, while the monitoring equipment measures the amount of oxygen that you’re using to do it.
This type of testing in a laboratory is the only way to directly measure your VO2 max.
Estimating VO₂ Max with Wearables
Many people use smartwatches or fitness trackers to keep track of their health data. These devices are very convenient, and many people find them to be a great way to take charge of their own health.
Many wearables provide a report on your VO2 max. Given the technical challenges of measuring VO2 max, how is this possible?
The truth is that it isn’t really possible. Wearables don’t actually measure VO2 max – they just estimate it.
By using data about your activity level, such as how long you’re active for during the day and how fast you’re moving during that time, your wearable device makes an estimate of your level of fitness. Combining this with data about your age, sex, and body weight (which you input into the device), your wearable then calculates your estimated VO2 max and reports this to you. Again, this is an estimate of VO2 max rather than a direct measurement.
Each specific device calculates your estimated VO2 max in its own way. If you try multiple different devices, you’ll likely get somewhat different numbers from each one.
While wearables aren’t able to directly measure your VO2 max, they can still provide useful data. Rather than focusing on the specific number that your wearable is giving you, wearables are most useful for tracking changes and monitoring VO2 max trends. If you see an increase in your VO2 max on your wearable over time, you’re likely doing more exercise and improving your fitness level. If your wearable reports that your VO2 max has declined over time, then you might need to step up your exercise a bit.
How to Improve VO₂ Max
Some people are born with a higher VO2 max than others. However, genetics are far from the only influence on this marker. You do have quite a bit of control over your own VO2 max. The best way to improve it is through exercise.
There are two main types of exercise that have been shown to improve VO2 max:
Steady-state cardio. This involves exercising for a relatively long period at a pace that’s sustainable. Examples include brisk walking, running, cycling, swimming, or using a rowing machine or an elliptical trainer. In general, you’ll want to aim for about 30 minutes to an hour of doing the activity at a steady pace.
Interval training, also known as high-intensity interval training (HIIT). This involves short bursts of vigorous activity, with recovery periods in between. For example, you might sprint at your fastest possible pace for 30 seconds, and then jog or walk in between for 90 seconds.
Research has shown that a mix of these activities tends to produce the greatest gains in VO2 max. This involves doing longer steady-state workouts on some days, and interval training on other days. However, if you’re strapped for time, interval training is generally more time-efficient and produces significant gains in VO2 max.
To improve your health and longevity, it’s important to be consistent with your workouts. A single workout won’t make a significant difference in your VO2 max, but working out several days each week will. This is why it’s so crucial to create an exercise plan that’s realistic given your work and other commitments, and that includes types of exercise that you enjoy. Some people find it useful to work with a health coach to create an exercise plan.
Many of our clients who are interested in performance and/or longevity are very committed to their health. When they find out how important VO2 max is, and learn that cardio and HIIT can improve it, then they often believe that they should do as much exercise as humanly possible in order to try and push their VO2 max as high as possible.
This is a mistake, and it’s likely to harm, rather than benefit, your longevity. While workouts are important, rest and recovery are an equal part of the body’s adaptation to exercise. Without enough recovery time, exercise can cause damage to the body, and it actually becomes counterproductive in terms of longevity.
Another important factor is nutrition. To allow your body to make the beneficial adaptations to exercise, you need to ensure that you have the right nutrients. For example, if you’re not getting enough protein, then it will be difficult for your body to build and maintain muscle tissue, so your VO2 max may not increase as much in response to training. Make sure to choose a healthy diet that contains all the nutrients you need.
Importance of Knowing and Improving Your VO₂ Max
In recent years, research has made one thing clear: your VO₂ max is one of the most important markers of long-term health and longevity. Keep an eye on this number to shape your exercise plan in a way that not only supports a longer life but also helps you feel stronger, more energetic, and more capable in your everyday routines.
With NOVI Assessment Max, VO₂ max testing is a core part of our comprehensive program. By tracking this crucial measurement of fitness, you gain the insights you need to fine-tune your lifestyle so you can perform at your best today while building the foundation for better health, longevity, and quality of life tomorrow.