If you want to improve your aerobic fitness, it's important to focus on increasing your VO₂ max, or your oxygen uptake. Read on to learn more about what VO₂ max is, how it is measured, and some effective ways to boost your VO₂ max.

What is VO₂ max?

VO₂ max, or maximal oxygen uptake, is a measure of the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during intense exercise. It’s considered one of the best indicators of cardiovascular fitness and endurance. Measured in milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute (ml/kg/min), VO₂ max reflects how efficiently your heart, lungs, and muscles work together to deliver and utilize oxygen.

Oxygen is a key part of breathing and is important for our bodies to work properly. When we breathe in, our lungs take in oxygen and help turn it into energy, which our cells use as a source called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the main energy source for our cells. It helps our bodies release carbon dioxide (CO₂) when we breathe out.

The benefits are obvious: a higher VO₂ max lets your body take in and use more oxygen to produce energy. This improved ability helps you perform better in activities that require a lot of oxygen, like running, swimming, and other types of cardio exercises.

First introduced by Hill and Lupton in the 1920s, VO₂ max has been studied a lot since then. A 2016 review in Sports Medicine states that VO₂ max is affected by several factors, including genetics, fitness level, age, and how well the body adapts to high altitudes.

Who should improve their VO₂ max?

Anyone looking to enhance cardiovascular performance can benefit from improving VO₂ max. But while oxygen uptake is more frequently used for athletes, is not just for athletes. It is a way to determine cardiorespiratory fitness in anyone. Medical professionals can use it to determine your heart and lung health. However, it’s particularly crucial for:

• Endurance athletes like runners, cyclists, and swimmers need sustained oxygen delivery.
• Team sport players such as soccer and basketball athletes, require high-intensity bursts of activity.
• Recreational fitness enthusiasts seeking better overall cardiovascular health.
• Older adults want to maintain longevity and prevent cardiovascular disease.

Your VO₂ max is an important measure of your fitness level and helps track your progress in athletics. Whether you want to improve your abilities or keep your current VO₂ max to stay fit, this measurement gives you valuable information about your endurance and development.

Everyone, regardless of how fit they are, should aim to boost their cardiorespiratory endurance. Studies show that having a higher VO₂ max is linked to a lower chance of dying.

How is VO₂ max measured?

VO₂ max can be assessed in several ways, ranging from laboratory tests to field-based estimations.

Submaximal exercise tests

These tests may be called “submaximal” because they are performed below (sub) max heart rate and below max exhaustion level, usually around 75%-85% max heart rate. 

Treadmill or cycle ergometer tests: These measure oxygen consumption at increasing exercise intensities.

The Rockport Walk Test: A simple test requiring individuals to walk a mile as fast as possible, followed by heart rate measurement.

The Cooper Test: A 12-minute run test estimating VO₂ max based on the total distance covered.

Using a Coospo heart rate monitor can be highly beneficial for accurately monitoring your heart rate during these tests. Coospo offers reliable and precise heart rate monitoring, helping you track your performance and optimize your training intensity effectively.

The gold standard for VO₂ max measurement is a graded exercise test (GXT) in a lab setting, where oxygen intake is directly measured while the participant runs or cycles at increasing intensity.

What’s considered a good VO₂ max?

VO₂ max depends on a few key factors:

Age, gender, and fitness level, along with elevation—ranging from sea level to mountainous terrains—are noteworthy factors influencing oxygen uptake. While certain aspects, such as age and gender, remain beyond our control, the predominant portion of oxygen uptake is significantly determined by one's fitness level, a variable that can be effectively managed and enhanced.

There isn't just one ideal VO₂ max that everyone should aim for, but everyone should try to have a good fitness score, like in the 60th percentile or higher.

Here are some averages based on sex and age that you can use for reference.

How can you increase your VO₂ max?

As people get older, it's normal for their VO₂ max, which measures fitness, to decline. However, there are many ways to keep VO₂ max levels high based on age and fitness goals. A notable study from 2016 showed that even short sessions of vigorous exercise can greatly improve VO₂ max levels.

Perform High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) involves short bursts of very hard exercise followed by rest or lower intensity periods. For example, when cycling on a stationary bike, you might pedal very fast for a short time, then slow down to recover, and then pedal fast again.

Switch Up Aerobic Activities in a Single Workout

Integrating various aerobic exercises, such as cycling and running within a single session, presents a unique challenge to the cardiovascular system, thereby enhancing the efficiency of oxygen utilization in novel manners.

Perform Any Cardio Activity

Consistent aerobic activities such as running, swimming, and cycling serve to fortify both the heart and lungs, leading to a gradual enhancement of VO₂ max.

Why increase your VO₂ max?

Based on research into the benefits of VO₂ max, the answer to this question seems pretty simple: It’ll help you live longer.

A study published in Frontiers in Bioscience in 2018 revealed that enhancing one's VO₂ max can significantly improve both the delivery and utilization of oxygen within the body. This improvement plays a crucial role in sustaining health and physical fitness well into advanced ages.

There are several immediate benefits you may begin to observe within days or weeks of enhancing your VO₂ max. These include feeling less fatigued or breathless during activities such as climbing stairs, experiencing a reduction in stress levels, and bolstering your immune system, which in turn may lead to a decreased frequency of illness.

Conclusion

VO₂ max is a key measure of aerobic fitness, showing how well your body uses oxygen. For cardio-loving athletes, it’s a great way to track progress and performance. Even if you're not an athlete, you can visit a gym or doctor for a submaximal test. Since VO₂ max predicts heart health as you age, keeping a good score can help you stay healthy for life.