A Simple Test to Determine Your VO2 Max
No lab equipment required
If you’ve participated in aerobic training, you’re likely familiar with the term VO2 max. For years, only professionals went through the process of knowing their VO2 max to improve athletic performance. However, no matter how fit, any individual can benefit from understanding what VO2 max means and how improving your score can help you train longer, harder and faster.
For starters,
VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen the body can utilize during exercise. It’s a combination of how much oxygen-rich blood your heart can pump and the heart’s efficiency in extracting and utilizing oxygen. ~ Runnersconnect.net
UC Davis Health writes, “VO2 max is the gold standard measure of overall fitness.” And while many factors can influence your score, like age, gender and weight, experts generally agree the higher your VO2 max, the greater your aerobic fitness. When your body is more efficient at using oxygen, it can generate greater energy (in the form of adenosine triphosphate) for your muscles.
The only way to get a “true” VO2 max score is to hook yourself up to some fancy lab equipment and run on a treadmill or pedal a stationary bike for 12–15 minutes as the load gets increasingly faster. This test isn’t fun. You’re breathing into a…
