Buzz
Achieving a new personal best is a great way to track your fitness progress. So, what's the easiest way to reach that milestone? A valuable method is to enhance your VO2 max, which measures how efficiently your body utilizes oxygen during physical activity. The more oxygen your body can consume and use during exercise, the better your performance will be, whether you're competing in a marathon or playing sports like tennis or soccer.
How to Assess Your VO2 Max
Your VO2 max is generally measured in a lab or medical environment, where you wear a mask to track your inhalation and exhalation, along with a heart rate monitor, while gradually increasing your workout intensity. Eventually, depending on your fitness, your oxygen usage will level off, signaling the transition from aerobic to anaerobic respiration. This plateau point marks your VO2 max. The higher the plateau, the more advanced your fitness level.
Accurately measuring your VO2 max requires specialized equipment, which is why it's typically reserved for specific purposes. However, there are alternative methods to estimate VO2 max that require less gear but aren't as precise, known as submaximal exercise tests
The VO2 estimates given by your activity tracker vary based on the brand and model, but they typically compare running or walking speed to changes in your heart rate. However, these estimates should be viewed as approximations rather than precise measurements.
Ways to Boost Your VO2 Max
There are two key strategies to improve your VO2 max. The first is to develop your aerobic base, which involves performing a lot of low-intensity aerobic exercises. For runners, this means focusing on long, slow miles, with the aim of gradually increasing your distance. This helps expand your aerobic capacity, enabling your body to more efficiently take in and utilize oxygen.
As exercise physiologist and Ironman coach Alan Couzens pointed out in a blog post for SimpliFaster, his experience working with athletes shows that the greatest improvements in VO2 max often come when training plans emphasize a substantial amount of low-intensity aerobic work.
Along with these long, slow miles, it's important to incorporate traditional “VO2 max” workouts, which consist of short bursts of high-intensity effort at 90-95% of your maximum heart rate. These intense intervals will help push your body's limits even further.
While it may be tempting (and satisfying) to push yourself to the max every time you exercise, high-intensity intervals should only make up a small part of your overall training. For instance, if you're gearing up for a race, it's important not to overdo these sessions too early. As Jason Fitzgerald noted in Outside Magazine, you should steer clear of prolonged VO2 max efforts, as they can be hard on your body. He advises, “reserve most of these intense, targeted workouts for the final stages of your training as you prepare for the race.”
