VO2 max is one of the most talked about health vitals amongst runners yet it is misunderstood.

It can signal how fit you are & suggest what type of training you need to do to improve.

Improve your VO2 max and on paper you can reach new fitness heights.

So, what is VO2 max & what can you do to enhance it?

→ skip to the end of this newsletter for a full 8 week plan to enhance your VO2. ←

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The Main Feature

Leg one: What is VO2 max?

VO2 max, or maximal oxygen uptake, is a critical measure in sports physiology. It represents the highest rate at which oxygen can be taken in and used by your body during intense exercise. Essentially, it's the maximum capacity of your body’s aerobic energy production system.

VO2 max is typically expressed in milliliters of oxygen used per minute per kilogram of body weight (ml/kg/min). It's a crucial indicator of cardiorespiratory fitness and aerobic endurance. Athletes with higher VO2 max values can typically perform sustained exercise at a higher intensity for a longer duration.

Several factors can influence VO2 max, including genetics, training status, age, gender, and altitude. Regular endurance training can significantly improve VO2 max by enhancing the heart's ability to pump blood, increasing capillary density in the muscles, and boosting the muscles' ability to utilize oxygen more effectively.

Understanding VO2 max can help tailor specific training programs, including interval training, long-distance workouts, and tempo training, designed to improve aerobic capacity effectively. This understanding is crucial for setting realistic training goals and monitoring improvements in both athletes and the general population.

T-1: Mental Preparation

Leg 2: How do you calculate VO2 max and what is a good score?

If you only have access to home supplies and a smartwatch, you can still estimate your VO2 max using some simple field tests that can be easily done outdoors or on any suitable track.

Here are a common method if you don’t have a smartwatch:

Cooper 12-Minute Run Test

This test is better suited if you are more active and can handle a higher intensity effort:

• What You Need: A track or a flat area where you can measure the distance covered, and a smartwatch to track the time and distance.

• Procedure: Warm up for 10 minutes. Then run as far as you can for 12 minutes. Use your smartwatch to track the distance you cover.

• Calculation: The distance you’ve covered can then be used to estimate your VO2 max with a simple formula:

  VO2 max=(35.97×distance in miles)−11.29VO2 max=(35.97×distance in miles)−11.29

This test can be performed with minimal equipment and still provide a good estimate of your aerobic capacity. For more accuracy, ensure you are well-rested and hydrated before the test, and try to perform the test under similar environmental conditions each time.

Your smartwatch may also offer a VO2 max estimation feature, which uses heart rate data and your physical activity profile to estimate your VO2 max over time, which can be particularly useful for tracking changes and trends in your fitness level.

VO2 Max by Gender and Age

VO2 max values are typically higher in men compared to women due to differences in body composition and hemoglobin content, which affects oxygen delivery to the muscles. Additionally, VO2 max naturally declines with age for both men and women.

Typical Ranges for the General Population:

• Adult Men: Generally, the VO2 max ranges from about 40-50 ml/kg/min.

• Adult Women: Generally, the VO2 max ranges from about 30-40 ml/kg/min.

These values decrease approximately 1% per year after the age of 25 due to natural declines in muscle mass, maximal heart rate, and other physiological factors.

Athletes and High-Performance Levels

In athletic populations, especially among endurance athletes like runners, cyclists, and rowers, VO2 max can be markedly higher:

• Elite Male Athletes: Often have VO2 max values that exceed 70 ml/kg/min, with some extreme cases even surpassing 85 ml/kg/min.

• Elite Female Athletes: Typically see VO2 max values ranging from 60 to 80 ml/kg/min.

Fitness Level Categorizations

Fitness levels can also be categorized based on VO2 max values, providing benchmarks for personal fitness goals or assessing health status:

• Excellent:

  • Men: Greater than 55 ml/kg/min

  • Women: Greater than 45 ml/kg/min

• Good:

  • Men: 45 to 55 ml/kg/min

  • Women: 35 to 45 ml/kg/min

• Above Average:

  • Men: 35 to 45 ml/kg/min

  • Women: 30 to 35 ml/kg/min

• Average:

  • Men: 30 to 35 ml/kg/min

  • Women: 25 to 30 ml/kg/min

• Below Average:

  • Men: 25 to 30 ml/kg/min

  • Women: 20 to 25 ml/kg/min

• Poor:

  • Men: Less than 25 ml/kg/min

  • Women: Less than 20 ml/kg/min

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Leg 3: How to enhance your VO2 max

Enhancing VO2 max involves a sophisticated, multi-dimensional approach that incorporates specific training methodologies, advanced nutritional tactics, psychological conditioning, and comprehensive recovery strategies. Here is a detailed and enriched overview of how to effectively improve aerobic capacity, essential for optimizing health and athletic performance:

Advanced Training Strategies

Improving VO2 max requires a structured and varied training regimen. Periodization is crucial, involving the strategic cycling of workload and intensity throughout the year to prevent plateaus and foster continual improvement. This includes phases focused on building endurance, strength, and recovery.

• Aerobic Training: Key methods like High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), continuous endurance workouts, and tempo runs are foundational. Each targets different aspects of aerobic capacity and endurance. Incorporating plyometric exercises enhances muscular power and speed, critical for improving the rate of force production and efficiency in oxygen usage.

• Strength Training: Complementing aerobic workouts with strength training, focusing on compound movements and functional exercises, improves overall muscular strength and endurance, which can indirectly enhance VO2 max by improving muscular efficiency.

Nutritional Enhancement

Nutrition plays a pivotal role in maximizing training outcomes and recovery:

• Macronutrient Management: Ensuring a balanced intake of carbohydrates for energy, proteins for muscle repair, and fats for endurance is essential.

• Ergogenic Aids: Supplements such as beetroot juice, which is rich in nitrates, can enhance oxygen utilization efficiency. Caffeine is another popular ergogenic aid that can improve endurance performance.

• Antioxidants and Recovery Nutrition: Consuming foods high in antioxidants can help mitigate oxidative stress caused by intense training. Timing the intake of nutrients, especially proteins and carbohydrates, post-workout can maximize recovery and muscle synthesis.

Initial Fitness Level

• Beginners: Those new to structured exercise may see noticeable improvements relatively quickly, often within 3 to 6 weeks, as their bodies respond to the new stress of aerobic conditioning.

• Intermediate and Advanced Athletes: For those who already have a solid fitness base, improvements in VO2 max can take longer to manifest. These individuals may see incremental improvements over months or even years, as they are closer to their genetic potential and improvements require more targeted and intense training efforts.

Training Frequency and Intensity

• Frequency: Consistent training, ideally most days of the week, is crucial for improving VO2 max. The adaptations that increase VO2 max, such as increased capillary density and mitochondrial efficiency, require regular stimulation.

• Intensity: Higher-intensity workouts, particularly those that stress the cardiovascular system (like HIIT or tempo runs), are particularly effective at boosting VO2 max. The stimulus provided by intense workouts encourages more rapid adaptations in the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.

Age and Genetic Factors

• Age: Younger individuals typically improve quicker than older adults due to more robust physiological responses and greater adaptability. However, with a well-designed training program, individuals at any age can improve their VO2 max.

• Genetics: Genetic factors can set upper limits on VO2 max improvements. Some individuals may have a naturally higher or lower capacity for aerobic fitness, impacting the speed and extent of VO2 max enhancements.

Lifestyle Habits

• Diet and Nutrition: Adequate nutrition, including sufficient intake of carbohydrates and proteins, supports the energy demands and recovery needs associated with intense training.

• Recovery and Sleep: Adequate recovery, including proper sleep, reduces the risk of overtraining and ensures that the body can repair and build stronger systems.

Typical Timeline

• Short-term: Initial improvements can often be seen within 4 to 6 weeks of consistent training.

• Long-term: Substantial and sustained improvements typically require at least 3 to 6 months of dedicated training. For continuous improvement or high levels of enhancement, a year or more of dedicated effort may be necessary.

It’s important to note that VO2 max can plateau, and further improvements can require changing the training stimulus or increasing the intensity or volume of workouts. Regular testing every few months can help track progress and guide training adjustments.

Read the 8 week workout plan below if you want to follow an exact plan.

So that’s how to enhance your VO2 max.

Coaches Corner

Workout Of The Week: Building Up Your VO2 Max

To design an effective training plan aimed at enhancing your VO2 max, it’s important to incorporate a variety of workouts that challenge your aerobic system. This plan assumes that you have a moderate fitness level and are looking to improve. Here’s a detailed 8-week training plan to help boost your VO2 max:

Weekly Structure

The training plan involves 5 days of training per week, with 2 days reserved for rest and recovery. The schedule consists of a mix of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), long endurance runs, tempo runs, strength training, and recovery activities.

Week 1-2: Foundation Building

• Monday: 30 minutes of continuous easy pace running (60-70% of max HR)

• Tuesday: Strength training (focus on lower body and core)

• Wednesday: HIIT - 10 x 1 minute at 85-95% max HR with 2 minutes of walking/jogging rest

• Thursday: Rest or light activity (such as walking or yoga)

• Friday: Tempo run - 20 minutes at a challenging but sustainable pace (75-85% of max HR)

• Saturday: Rest

• Sunday: Long slow distance run - 45 minutes at a comfortable pace

Week 3-4: Intensity Increase

• Monday: 40 minutes of continuous easy pace running

• Tuesday: Strength training (include upper body exercises)

• Wednesday: HIIT - 12 x 1 minute at 90-95% max HR with 1 minute of walking/jogging rest

• Thursday: Rest or light activity

• Friday: Tempo run - 25 minutes at a challenging but sustainable pace

• Saturday: Rest

• Sunday: Long run - 50 minutes increasing to 60 minutes at a comfortable pace

Week 5-6: Peak Building

• Monday: 45 minutes of easy running with 5 x 1-minute bursts at 90% max HR during the run

• Tuesday: Strength training (focus on compound movements like squats and deadlifts)

• Wednesday: HIIT - 15 x 1 minute at near-maximal effort with 1-minute rest

• Thursday: Rest or active recovery

• Friday: Tempo run - 30 minutes at tempo pace

• Saturday: Rest

• Sunday: Long run - 70 minutes at a steady, easy pace

Week 7-8: Performance and Taper

• Monday: 50 minutes of easy running with 8 x 1-minute bursts at 90% max HR

• Tuesday: Strength training (full body)

• Wednesday: HIIT - 10 x 1 minute at maximal effort with 1-minute rest (focus on quality)

• Thursday: Rest or active recovery

• Friday: Tempo run - 35 minutes at tempo pace

• Saturday: Rest

• Sunday: Long run - 80 minutes at a comfortable pace

Additional Tips

• Hydration: Stay well-hydrated before, during, and after workouts.

• Nutrition: Ensure a balanced diet rich in carbohydrates, proteins, and fats to support energy levels and recovery.

• Rest: Ensure you are getting adequate sleep each night (7-9 hours).

• Monitor your Progress: Consider using a heart rate monitor to track your exertion levels and ensure you are training at the correct intensities.

• Flexibility: Adjust the plan as needed based on your recovery and fitness improvements.

This plan will help challenge your aerobic and anaerobic systems, promoting improvements in your VO2 max. Be sure to listen to your body and adjust the intensity and volume as necessary to avoid overtraining.