Had a VO2 max test done as part of a stress test. Got the results this morning.
VO2 (ml/kg/min) = 45.8
Is this good? Am 57 years old, 6’ 182 lbs.
Can you train to improve VO2 max?
Is there a way to use this info for training.
Should mention this was done on a treadmill with all kinds of sensors and a respiratory mask.
Any input appreciated.
fal7 in cool, finally!! Houston
It’s an OK result.
Yes you can improve V02 max with training
Can you use it for training? Somewhat. V02 max as a stand-alone value is not a great indicator, as it tends to be, even in well tranind athletes, very individual. Example: two runners can have the same PB for 10K, but they may have different V02 maxes.
Fleck
VO2max is a measure your body’s innate ability to process oxygen so you’re pretty much stuck with the number you’ve got. It is not something you can improve with training but it can go up or down slightly (+/- 10%) by gaining or losing weight (reducing the Kg in the mL/Kg/min).
What you CAN improve is your anaerobic threshhold. So if your AT is 80% your VO2 you’d be more fit than someone who has a VO2 of 80 but an AT of 40%.
3. Can you use it for training? Somewhat. V02 max as a stand-alone value is not a great indicator, as it tends to be, even in well tranind athletes, very individual. Example: two runners can have the same PB for 10K, but they may have different V02 maxes.
I agree with Fleck. I helped out in a study during undergrad where we tested the cross country team in Vo2max and their lactate threshold. We used their paces at lactate threshold and compared them to their race times. Obviously they all had a pretty high Vo2max, but the best indicator of their times were lactate threshold. Therefore, one person can have a lower Vo2max than someone else, but if they have a higher threshold they should be able to go faster.
Had a VO2 max test done as part of a stress test. Got the results this morning.
VO2 (ml/kg/min) = 45.8
Is this good? Am 57 years old, 6’ 182 lbs.
Can you train to improve VO2 max?
Is there a way to use this info for training.
Should mention this was done on a treadmill with all kinds of sensors and a respiratory mask.
Any input appreciated.
fal7 in cool, finally!! Houston
45.8 VO2 is pretty damn good for a 57 year old man (I am guessing). Puts you in the 85% group for your age, excellent.
I really doubt at your age you will see much improvement in VO2. As we age our ability to increase raw VO2 decreases due to a whole laundry list of factors. A lot of the work that shows improvements in VO2 are with young college aged folks. Doesn’t mean we can’t improve LT which is of great interest in Tri-sports. Good luck.
Francois has a very interesting paper on VO2 max and Velocity at VO2 max,
He gives some very good suggestions for improving volocity at VO2 max that I’m going to work on this winter and next season.
It is worth a look.
http://www.competitionzone.com/articles/tips-quest-for-speed.PDF
jaretj
VO2max is a measure your body’s innate ability to process oxygen so you’re pretty much stuck with the number you’ve got. It is not something you can improve with training but it can go up or down slightly (+/- 10%) by gaining or losing weight (reducing the Kg in the mL/Kg/min).
Actually, you can improve VO2max in two ways, by losing weight and by training.
Losing weight: At 6’ and 182 lbs, if the original poster lost 27 pounds (to get to 155) his VO2max would be 53.7, a 17% increase. This is much more than the 10% you indicated was possible, and would be pretty darn good for a 57 year old.
Training: It’s a common misperception that “you’re stuck with what you’ve got” when it comes to VO2max. Your upper limit may be genetically determined, but you have to train pretty hard and pretty consistently to get there. See quote below.
Bottom line: unless the original poster already has extremely low body fat and is a highly trained athlete, chances are that his VO2max can be improved quite a bit.
http://www.exercisestandards.org/vo2.htm
**How much can V02 max be improved? **
For years, researchers have found wide variations in improvement in V02 max with training. In one study, men and women endurance trained for 9 to 12 months. Improvement in V02 max ranged from 0% to 43%, even though all the subjects completed exactly the same training program.
Bouchard has now clearly established that the response to a training program is genetically determined. Ten pairs of identical twins completed a 20 week endurance training program. Improvements varied from 0% to nearly 40%. These results, and those from other studies, indicate that there will be responders (large improvement) and non-responders (little or no improvement) among groups of people who experience identical training programs.
Costill and Wilmore suggest that in fully mature athletes, the highest attainable V02 max is reached within 8 to 18 months of heavy endurance training, indicating that each athlete has a finite attainable level of oxygen consumption. However, endurance performance continues to improve with continued training for many additional years. Factors contributing to this continued endurance performance are lactate threshold and economy of movement.
Anyone have any insight with the sub-maximal polar r-r variation vo2 max test? Standard feature on some of their advanced hrm models.
You’re supposed to lie down and relax for the test, which measures beat-to-beat time deviation I believe. I think I remember reading that they claimed quite a high degree of accuracy for the result. FWIW, I’ve seen my resultant vo2 max number scale almost 10% relative to fitness and weight.
After controlling for BW the differences are scant. Most matures see a 10%ish increase and this is due mostly to the changes in body comp. Most of the models with regard to VO2 testing are subject driven. They just keep asking the subject if they want to keep going. Of course the athletes will have higher pain thresholds, desire etc. Controlled for these one can expect 5-10% improvement. with a good training program.