Are you an avid runner or trail runner looking to make meaningful strides with your running performance? If so, one essential element in seeing success is increasing your Vo2 max — a measurement of how much oxygen your body can utilize during intense exercise.
It affects endurance, strength and even speed. Luckily, there are several ways to increase this metric and see significant improvements in both aerobic and anaerobic training sessions.
In this blog post, we'll explore 7 training tips, 3 workouts as well as supplement recommendations that will help boost your Vo2 max so you become a better runner! Get ready because it's time to make some big strides.
VO2 max is a measure of the maximum amount of oxygen that an individual can utilize during intense exercise. It is often used as an indicator of aerobic fitness, and reflects how well the body can supply fuel during physical activity via the cardiovascular system, delivering more oxygen to working muscles.
The higher one's VO2 max, the more efficiently they are able to deliver more oxygen-rich blood to their muscles which in turn allows them to keep going at a higher intensity for longer periods. Ultimately it affects endurance, strength and even speed.
This refers to how well the heart is able to pump more oxygen-rich blood to working muscles.
This relates to how effectively the muscles can use that oxygen.
This indicates how much oxygen your lungs are able to extract from the air and get into the bloodstream.
Knowing your current VO2 max can lead to a better understanding your current fitness and how to improve it during endurance training. It is one of the biggest indicators of your current fitness level and guides your training regimen to enhance your VO2 max in the future. We'll get into a couple of workouts specific for raising your VO2 that worked for me in a bit.
Improving your VO2 max won't directly increase your speed in running but it will make it easier to maintain a consistent pace during any aerobic exercise you do.
Training at a high intensity is key to improving your Vo2 max. Aim to work at around 90 to 95 percent of your maximum heart rate during your workouts. This intensity helps strengthen your heart muscles and increases the volume of blood it can pump with each beat.
To estimate your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220.
Interval training involves alternating between high-intensity activity and periods of rest. Research suggests that interval workouts produces slightly better Vo2 max improvements compared to continuous aerobic exercise.
Incorporate intervals into your training program to challenge your cardiovascular system and enhance your aerobic capacity.
Incorporating both interval and continuous training in your workouts can be highly effective. Studies have shown significant increases in Vo2 max with a workout routine that includes six workouts per week, alternating between interval workouts and continuous sessions.
For most endurance athletes, interval training days involve short high-intensity sessions, while continuous running or cycling is performed on alternate days, gradually increasing the duration.
As you progress and become fitter as an endurance athlete, continue pushing your limits to further improve your Vo2 max. Increase the intensity, duration, or frequency of your workouts to provide a stimulus for adaptation.
By continually challenging yourself, you ensure ongoing progress and prevent plateauing.
If you're a runner, knowing your 5K and 10K times can be helpful in optimizing your training. These paces correlate roughly with the effort required to achieve 90 to 95 percent of your maximum heart rate.
Incorporate workouts at these paces to target your Vo2 max and enhance your aerobic capacity.
For cyclists, knowing your functional threshold power (FTP) can guide your training efforts. FTP refers to the highest amount of power you can sustain for an hour.
By understanding your FTP, you can better gauge the intensity required to improve your Vo2 max during any endurance exercise. To estimate your FTP, perform a 20-minute all-out effort test and subtract 5 percent from the power score.
Improving Vo2 max is a gradual process that requires consistency and progression. If you're currently inactive, you can expect to notice improvements in aerobic capacity within four to six weeks of starting a training program. However, as you become fitter, progress may take longer.
When people first start searching how to increase Vo2 max, they usually forget the basics. It really just comes down to making continuous gains and consistently challenging yourself by increasing the intensity, duration, or frequency of your workouts.
Here are two sample workouts that can help improve your Vo2 max:
Interval training will give you the most bang for your buck in terms of fitness. Start with a warm-up consisting of easy jogging and dynamic mobility exercises. Run as far as you can in four minutes and record the distance. Rest for four minutes, and then run the same distance at 15 percent slower pace for four more repetitions.
For example, if your first interval covered one mile, aim to complete the remaining four repetitions in 4 minutes and 36 seconds.
Begin with a warm-up of easy jogging and dynamic stretches. Perform intervals of increasing duration, followed by equal periods of recovery.
Here's an example of a pyramid interval workout:
These sample workouts can be modified based on your running fitness level and specific goals. The key is to incorporate intervals that challenge your aerobic base and elevate your heart rate.
The time it takes to improve your Vo2 max depends on several factors, including your starting base fitness, training consistency, and genetic predisposition.
If you're relatively inactive, you may notice improvements in aerobic capacity within four to six weeks of consistent training. However, the more fit you become, the longer it may take to see further gains.
To continue progressing in your athletics performance, it's important to continually challenge yourself by increasing the intensity, duration, or frequency of your workouts. Gradual and sustained progress over time will lead to significant improvements in your Vo2 max.
While some supplements are marketed to improve Vo2 max or endurance, their effectiveness is often inconclusive or based on conflicting evidence.
It's important to note that supplements should not replace a balanced meal plan and a well-structured training program. However, some supplements may support your overall training efforts. Here are a few commonly used supplements for aerobic exercise:
Beetroot juice is believed to lower blood pressure and potentially enhance aerobic exercise performance. However, its direct effects on Vo2 max are not yet clear. Research suggests that 70 ml of beetroot juice did not significantly impact Vo2 max in recreationally active individuals.
Regular exercise can deplete iron levels, which are essential for red blood cells to transport more oxygen. If you have low iron levels, taking an iron supplement may help improve your Vo2 max. However, if you have normal iron levels, supplementation is unlikely to enhance your performance.
This supplement has been found to improve performance in exercises lasting between one and four minutes. However, its impact on Vo2 max specifically is not well-established. A study on water polo players found no significant increase in Vo2 max after four weeks of beta-alanine supplementation.
While supplements may have individual benefits, it's important to consult with a healthcare professional or a registered dietitian before incorporating them into your regimen.
Measuring Vo2 max accurately requires laboratory testing, where you wear a special face mask that measures the amount of oxygen you breathe in and breathe out during exercise. The test is typically conducted on a stationary bike or treadmill, with the intensity gradually increasing until you reach your limit.
However, laboratory testing may not be accessible or practical for everyone. An alternative approach is to estimate your Vo2 max based on race times for a certain distance. Various online calculators can approximate your Vo2 max from a distance run over 1.5 kilometers or 0.93 miles.
Some fitness watches also provide Vo2 max estimates based on heart rate data. While the accuracy of these estimates may vary among different companies, a study conducted by Firstbeat, a Finnish company, reported approximately 95 percent accuracy for calculating Vo2 max using their technology.
Vo2 max results can vary greatly depending on individual factors such as age, gender, fitness level, body weight, and genetics. Generally, higher Vo2 max values indicate better cardiovascular fitness.
Here is a range of Vo2 max results categorized by fitness level:
It's important to note that these ranges are general guidelines and can vary depending on the source and specific population studied. Additionally, Vo2 max values can be influenced by factors such as age, gender, and individual fitness goals.
Vo2 max values can vary based on age and gender due to physiological differences. On average, men tend to have higher Vo2 max values than women. Here is a general breakdown of Vo2 max values by age and gender:
These values provide a general idea of Vo2 max ranges based on age and gender, but individual variations are common. It's important to focus on personal progress and improvements rather than comparing yourself strictly to these averages.
Several fitness tools can help estimate or measure Vo2 max:
Many modern heart rate monitors can estimate your Vo2 max based on your heart rate data. These estimates provide a useful reference for tracking your progress over time.
Advanced fitness watches equipped with built-in sensors can provide Vo2 max estimates based on heart rate variability, cardiovascular exercise intensity, and other data. They offer a convenient way to monitor and track your fitness levels during various activities.
Several mobile applications, compatible with smartphones or smartwatches, offer Vo2 max estimations based on heart rate data and personal information. These apps can provide valuable insights and allow you to track your progress on the go.
For the most accurate and precise measurement of Vo2 max, laboratory testing is still the gold standard. If you have access to a sports performance center or university research lab, undergoing a comprehensive Vo2 max test can provide you with the most accurate results.
While fitness tools can be helpful for tracking your athletic performance and monitoring your Vo2 max, it's important to remember that these tools provide estimates and not direct measurements. The accuracy of these estimates may vary, and they should be used as a reference rather than as a definitive measurement.
Achieving your highest possible level of aerobic fitness is a challenging but incredibly rewarding endeavour. With the right combination of commitment, diligence and self-confidence, you can improve your Vo2 max, increase your cardiovascular fitness, excel in endurance events, and track all sorts of progress indicators.
Taking things bit by bit, day by day, meal by meal means that you can eventually reach personal goals and experience greater than satisfactory results within a realistic period of time. Moreover, once you develop an understanding for the strategies needed to maximize your success with Vo2 max improvement and endurance activity, it becomes easier to remain consistent with exercises. So don't wait—get started on your journey towards aerobic excellence!
Always remember to practice self-care when needed; don't overexert yourself. This remains especially true even if we aren't elite athletes but rather hold a full-time career, have children, and bear other life responsibilities. Sport and our active hobbies should add to the energy systems that make our lives more meaningful and not the other way around!
If you ever need any additional advice or support in endurance training, feel free to connect with me — I'm always here to help. Here's hoping that your next 5K or 100K race goes beyond all expectations; let's start this challenge together!