WHAT IS VO2 MAX AND HOW CAN I IMPROVE IT?
It’s the Volume of 02 (Oxygen) Maximum and it represents the maximum amount of oxygen your body is able to effectively consume.
As the intensity of exercise increases our muscles need more oxygen to be able to keep moving and producing power. Eventually this demand for oxygen outstrips the body’s ability to deliver it, at this point the body tips into anaerobic work, which can only be sustained for a very short time.
This makes VO2 max a crucial factor in performance when it comes to endurance sports, the greater your VO2 max the greater your body’s capacity to take in and utilise oxygen and therefore the higher this tipping point into anaerobic work.
CAN I IMPROVE IT?
A lot of the talk around VO2 max often centres around professional athletes. They obviously have impressive VO2 max stats and this is often down to a genetic advantage on their part. But don’t fear! While genetics can play an important role in your VO2 max there are other impacting factors involved that are highly trainable. It’s also important to note that a high VO2 max isn’t the only factor that will determine your cycling or running performance. Being able to sustain performance at a high percentage of your VO2 max is also crucial. This is why following a structured training program is so important.
IT’S NOT JUST EXERCISE…
Already doing plenty of low intensity work and have got your high intensity intervals nailed? That’s your heart, lungs and muscles sorted. There is still more you can do. An often overlooked way to increase your VO2 max (and your overall performance) is to improve the oxygen carrying capacity of your blood. If this sounds suspect it is because this is exactly what the infamous performance enhancing drug EPO does. Now, obviously we’re not going to advocate trying that. What you can do is use dietary changes to achieve a similar result.