What is VO2 max? The metric that could give you better workouts
On TikTok, VO2 max is going viral as the key to improving your endurance during a workout.
In short, you can think of this metric as the maximum amount of oxygen your body uses during exercise – V stands for volume, and O2 stands for oxygen, per Harvard Health. For some people, improving VO2 max could help you attain longer, sustained workouts, and offer potential cardiovascular benefits, experts say.
So, whether you’re an athlete, or simply trying to improve your performance during exercise, here’s why it might be worth taking a closer look at your VO2 max.
What is VO2 max?
As the heart pumps oxygen-rich blood throughout the body, it delivers oxygen to your muscles. Our muscles then utilize oxygen to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which provides energy, says Heather Milton, a board-certified clinical exercise physiologist, and certified strength and conditioning specialist with NYU Langone.
“(VO2 max is) a function of your cardiorespiratory system to (be) able to transmit oxygen from the air around you into your lungs and into your circulatory system,” says Dr. Christopher Tanayan, a sports cardiologist and Director of Sports Cardiology at Lenox Hill Hospital at Northwell Health.
Your VO2 max is measured in mL/kg/min (milliliters of oxygen consumed per kilogram of body weight per minute of exercise), according to Harvard Health.
How to find your VO2 max
“A CPET (cardiopulmonary exercise test) is the gold standard of estimating someone’s VO2 max,” Tanayan says. At a performance center, this test might also be referred to as an aerobic capacity test, or a VO2 max test, says Milton.
Another way to find your VO2 max is using a wearable (such as a Fitbit, Garmin or Apple Watch) to track your performance during exercise. With a bit of math and extrapolation, wearables can estimate the amount of energy you’re using during your workout by measuring your heart rate response to submaximal efforts, ideally taking into account your age, weight and sex, says Milton.
How important is VO2 max?
A higher VO2 max could indicate stronger cardiovascular fitness and endurance – this means you’ll be able to move and sustain more activity for longer periods of time, says Dr. Amadeus Mason, an assistant professor in the othopaedics and family medicine department at Emory University School of Medicine, and the chief medical officer for Atlanta United FC and medical director for Team USA Track & Field.
Research also shows there may be a potential correlation between having a greater VO2 max score, and decreased risk for cardiovascular diseases, per Harvard Health.
How to increase your VO2 max fast
From a training standpoint, when you know your VO2 max, there are steps you can take to improve this number, which could increase your endurance during a workout. Still, not everyone needs to train to improve their VO2 max; it really depends on your exercise goals. For example, if you’re an anaerobic athlete (i.e. a weightlifter or sprinter) who needs short bursts of power to get through a workout, training to increase your VO2 max might not be necessary, says Milton.
On the other hand, if you perform a mix of aerobic (a.k.a. cardio) and anaerobic exercise, there are benefits to improving your VO2 max. Having a solid aerobic base promotes “fast recovery in between bouts of high intensity (or anaerobic) exercise,” Milton says. For the general population, improving your VO2 max could also help with enhanced longevity and potential cardiovascular benefits, she says.
To increase your VO2 max, try out these types of exercise, experts say:
- Aerobic exercise. For the non-professional athlete, you can improve your VO2 max by performing consistent aerobic exercise, says Mason. To get your heart rate and oxygen intake up, try cardio exercises like running, jogging, cycling or swimming.
- HIIT. Incorporate high intensity interval training (HIIT) into your workout routine, recommends Mason. There’s a misconception that HIIT only consists of high impact exercises like jumping jacks, burpees and squat jumps, says Milton. However, because the ultimate goal of HIIT is to elicit a heart rate response, low-impact HIIT exercises could include incline treadmill walking, using an elliptical or working out with a stationary bike, she says.