What is a VO2 Max?

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The VO2 Max is the maximum amount of oxygen you can shift through your lungs. To make it simple it’s the amount of oxygen we can breath in one minute while working at full capacity. It’s a measure of fitness expressed in milliliters per kilogram per minute. In the research lab. this is measured at a treadmill speed of 11.3 kilometers per hour. During the first five minutes, the treadmill is raised two degrees per minute (to 10 degrees). Thereafter, it is raised one degree for every minute, until the athlete is unable to maintain 11.3 km/hour.

 

 

Does it matter what my VO2 Max is?

Not really, World records have been run by people with high 60s value, beating out the mid 80s runners. It is all about running efficiency and economy.

This table categorizes VO2max scores for adult men and women of various ages. These are relative VO2max scores, in the units of mls of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute.

This table categorizes VO2max scores for adult men and women of various ages. These are relative VO2max scores, in the units of mls of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute.

MAXIMAL OXYGEN UPTAKE NORMS FOR MEN (ml/kg/min)

 

	18-25 years old	26-35 years old	36-45 years old	46-55 years old	56-65 years old	65+ years old
excellent	>60	>56	>51	>45	>41	>37
good	52-60	49-56	43-51	39-45	36-41	33-37
above average	47-51	43-48	39-42	35-38	32-35	29-32
average	42-46	40-42	35-38	32-35	30-31	26-28
below average	37-41	35-39	31-34	29-31	26-29	22-25
poor	30-36	30-34	26-30	25-28	22-25	20-21
very poor	<30	<30	<26	<25	<22	<20

 

MAXIMAL OXYGEN UPTAKE NORMS FOR WOMEN (ml/kg/min)

 

	18-25 years old	26-35 years old	36-45 years old	46-55 years old	56-65 years old	65+ years old
excellent	>56	>52	>45	>40	>37	>32
good	47-56	45-52	38-45	34-40	32-37	28-32
above average	42-46	39-44	34-37	31-33	28-31	25-27
average	38-41	35-38	31-33	28-30	25-27	22-24
below average	33-37	31-34	27-30	25-27	22-24	19-22
poor	28-32	26-30	22-26	20-24	18-21	17-18
very poor	<28	<26	<22	<20	<18	<17

 

 

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