What is VO2?
V02 is the maximum rate your body can take in oxygen and transport it during intense exercise. This is a key indicator of aerobic fitness and heart health. As you increase your exercise, your heart rate goes up, and you eventually switch from “aerobic” activity to “anaerobic” activity. This is measurable. It is related to your body weight, so it is usually listed at milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute.
V= Volume
O2 = Oxygen
Max = Maximum
VO2 = mL/kg/min
What does a higher VO2 mean?
- A higher VO2 shows better fitness, better endurance, and lower risk of heart disease.
- VO2 correlates with higher energy production in the muscle, as oxygen is critical to make ATP in your mitochondria, which is the primary fuel for muscle action. (NOTE: ATP production is something we advocate in our Bay Area clinics via NAD and creatine as well.)
How is VO2 measured?
Welcome to our newest offering at Biohackr Health! The gold standard to find VO2 max is doing a maximal graded exercise test conducted in a lab with a treadmill or bike. To measure Vo2 max, you exercise while hooked up via a mask and breathing apparatus to a machine which records your oxygen intake and carbon dioxide output. We are looking for the point of aerobic and then anaerobic transition. It is the anaerobic transition which is important to evaluate your maximum.
We measure your oxygen and carbon dioxide as you increase your exercise intensity. With our treadmill, if not a runner you can do the test while walking, increasing the incline to increase heart rate. The VO2 max test can also be done with walking increasing to a run and then increasing the run speed. After the anaerobic transition we can extrapolate your data. We also have an extended test for elite athletes who want to see what occurs during their workouts. We currently have the machine in Palo Alto, soon to expand to San Francisco.
What are typical values of VO2 max?
VO2 max varies with age, sex, fitness level, and body composition. You can grade your level, from poor–> fair–> good–> excellent-> superior.
- An average for a 50 year old male would be around 35 mL/kg/min. An elite athlete at that age would be over 50 mL/kg/min.
- An average for a 50 year old woman would be around 25 mL/kg/min and an elite athlete would be over 40 mL/kg/min.
For a more comprehensive chart, click VO2 chart
How can you increase VO2 max?
We will do more in depth blogs, but aerobic activity, high intensity interval training, mixing work out types and workout intensity will help improve your level. Reducing weight and excess fat can improve your VO2 max, as it is measured relative to body weight.
VO2 testing at Biohackr Health
We use the CardioCoachPro to give accurate based oxygen fitness tests. We will give you a detailed report on your breathing air flow, maximum oxygen intake (VO2 max), respiratory exchange rate and more.
- Precise heart rate zone. Want to target fat burning? carbohydrates? Our testing will tell you what YOUR ideal heart rate is to achieve your goals.
- Resting Metabolic Rate can also be measured. This is important and has a dedicated blog, but resting metabolic rate looks at your energy expenditure to do basic life sustaining functions while awake and asleep. It accounts for the majority of your total daily energy expenditure (60-75% in most adults), so it is important to know to understand how many calories your body requires. THIS CAN CHANGE A LOT DURING WEIGHT LOSS, particularly if on GLP therapy.
- We can use your information to tailor your exercise program. This is particularly important for those on weight loss GLP treatments or those trying to maximize and build endurance.
- Combine VO2 with InBody Scan to see your body fat and muscle percentages
- Add our German micronized Creatine to help build muscle.
- Retest. The goal with VO2 max and resting metabolic rate is to see your numbers, do interventions, and see if it improved.
Fitness requires a multipronged approach. When you are trying to improve, we know how individual everyone is. Test your level. Do your interventions. Retest to see what is being effective to improve your health.
The information provided on this website is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider for any questions regarding your health or medical condition.