Maximum VO2 is the amount of oxygen consumed by the person during aerobic physical activity, such as running, and is often used to assess an athlete’s physical condition because it better represents a person’s aerobic ability. The person.
The acronym VO2 max means Maximum Oxygen Volume and specifically expresses the body’s ability to capture oxygen from the atmosphere and provide it to muscles during physical exertion. The higher the VO2, the greater the ability to take the available oxygen from the air and deliver it to the muscles efficiently and quickly, which depends on the person’s breathing, circulatory capacity and training level.
- High maximum VO2 is linked to health benefits.
- Such as a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Cancer.
- Depression and type 2 diabetes.
- Especially due to healthy habits and fitness.
The maximum VO2 of a sedentary man is about 30 to 35 ml / kg / min, while the best known marathoners have a VO2 maximum of about 70 ml / kg / min.
Women have, on average, a slightly lower VO2, ranging from 20 to 25 mL/kg/min in sedentary women and up to 60 mL/kg/min in athletes because they naturally have a higher amount of fat and less hemoglobin.
Sedentary people who do not engage in physical activity can improve their VO2 more quickly, however, people who are already well trained and who engage in regular physical activity may not be able to significantly increase their VO2, although this can improve their overall performance. In fact, this value is also related to the person’s own genetics, which is why some people can increase their VO2 in relatively little training time.
In addition to genetic VO2, it is also influenced by the person’s age, ethnicity, body composition, level of training and type of exercise.
To measure VO2, the ergospirometry test, also known as a lung capacity test or stress test, can be performed on a treadmill or exercise bike, with the person wearing a mask on the face and with electrodes attached to the body. This test measures maximum VO2, heart rate, breathing gas exchanges, and perceived stress based on training intensity.
The test is usually requested by the cardiologist or sports doctor to evaluate athletes, or to assess the health of people with lung or heart problems, and in some cases, the amount of lactate in the blood is also measured at the end of the test. .
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The maximum VO2 can also be indirectly estimated by physical tests, such as the Cooper test, which evaluates aerobic capacity, analyzing the distance traveled by the individual for 12 minutes, walking or running at full capacity.
Once the values are annotated, it is necessary to perform a calculation using an equation, which will give the maximum VO2 value of the individual.
Learn how to perform the Cooper test and see how to determine the maximum VO2.
To increase vo2 maximum, it is necessary to increase physical training as this improves physical conditioning, allowing the body to better capture oxygen using it in the best way, avoiding fatigue. Normally, it is only possible to improve VO2 max by approximately 30% and this improvement is directly related to the amount of body fat, age and muscle mass:
In addition, intensive training with at least 85% heart rate also helps a lot to increase VO2 levels, but as it is a very powerful workout, it is not recommended for anyone who initiates physical activity. To start physical activity and increase VO2, a lighter workout is recommended, with around 60 to 70% of VO2, which should always be guided by the sports coach. In addition, one option to improve VO2 is high intensity interval training.