Time for a TEST!!!
We have a love/hate relationship with numbers. Today, I’m going to talk to you about one that you probably don’t obsess about. Let me introduce you to a your VO2 max. You’ve probably heard of this before, but what does it all mean and why does it matter?
VO2 Max is a number that indicates your cardiovascular fitness level. Specifically, It is the maximum capacity that your body can transport and utilize oxygen during progressive exercise. A higher VO2 Max = a higher cardiovascular fitness level.
Why is this number important? Like any other fitness assessment it can be used as a baseline measurement to gauge your fitness level and to see if your workout program is working. Increasing this number will help you run faster for longer. It will do the same for any other endurance sport.
I do want to state that VO2 max will not predict who will win the race. Three time Tour de France winner, Greg LeMond’s VO2 max was calculated at 92.5 milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute. While the seven time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong is calculated at 85 milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute.
A true VO2 Max test must should be performed in a lab under a physicians supervision. It’s also very costly. What you can do on your own is a sub maximal test. One sub maximal test is the Cooper 1.5 mile walk/run test. Its pretty simple.
| VO2 Max values for Women as measured in ml/kg/min | ||||||
| Age | Very Poor | Poor | Fair | Good | Excellent | Superior |
| 13-19 | <25.0 | 25.0-30.9 | 31.0-34.9 | 35.0-38.9 | 39.0-41.9 | >41.9 |
| 20-29 | <23.6 | 23.6-28.9 | 29.0-32.9 | 33.0-36.9 | 37.0-41.0 | >41.0 |
| 30-39 | <22.8 | 22.8-26.9 | 27.0-31.4 | 31.5-35.6 | 35.7-40.0 | >40.0 |
| 40-49 | <21.0 | 21.0-24.4 | 24.5-28.9 | 29.0-32.8 | 32.9-36.9 | >36.9 |
| 50-59 | <20.2 | 20.2-22.7 | 22.8-26.9 | 27.0-31.4 | 31.5-35.7 | >35.7 |
| 60+ | <17.5 | 17.5-20.1 | 20.2-24.4 | 24.5-30.2 | 30.3-31.4 | >31.4 |
oh wow cool test! I wanna def try it someday except I’d be scared to see my score haha
I don’t know my VO2 Max, but I know in college and post graduate I had it measured…and it was average, which really shocked me!! I can’t remember the exact number, but I remember be sad about it
First, I want to thank you for stopping by my blog!
Secondly, I don’t know my VO2 max either. I know I’ve heard of it before, but didn’t really know what it was or what it meant. I’m definitely interested in testing it out and seeing what mine is. I’ll do it in the next couple of days. Thanks for the info!
wow, I have never heard of this before, thanks for the informative post
Neat! I’m a numbers and data lover, so this is right up my alley. I’ve used VO2 Max calculations in conjuction with Daniels’ Running Formula, but I don’t recall seeing a test like this. In the past I’ve just looked up recent race times on a table. When I get a break in my training after my upcoming marathon I’m going to take this test. Thanks!