VO2max and Your
Endurance Performance
Understanding your VO2max or aerobic power
is key to maximizing your endurance training and
performance. So what exactly is your aerobic power
and why is it an important factor in athletic
training?
VO2max Defined
As
exercise intensity increases so does your
uptake of oxygen. So for example the faster you
run the more oxygen you must consume to sustain the
pace. Here's the key.
There comes a point where your body simply cannot
increase the amount of oxygen it consumes and
utilizes, despite an increase in exercise intensity.
This is your VO2max...
"the maximum amount of oxygen you can take in and
utilize measured in mL.kg.min".
Have a look at the graph below. The horizontal axis
represents exercise intensity. The vertical axis
represents oxygen uptake. Where the line levels off
illustrates a plateau in oxygen uptake
despite this particular athlete running faster.
How does VO2max or aerobic power relate to
athletic performance and in particular
endurance? Good question.
Imagine your VO2max as your "aerobic ceiling".
If exercise intensity increases after you have
reached your VO2max your body must use predominantly
anaerobic (without oxygen) pathways for
energy production. The result?
Lactic acid
begins to accumulate rapidly. You can only continue
exercising at that level for a few minutes at most.
From the graph above the athlete has the
potential to exercise predominantly aerobically
at an intensity of level 6 or 7. In other words he
or she can potentially maintain a level of work for
a prolonged period of time.
In
reality lactic acid begins to accumulate rapidly
before most individuals hit their VO2max. Another
variable -- lactate or anaerobic
threshold has a large bearing on this.
VO2max In Elite
Athletes
VO2max is a good indicator of aerobic endurance
performance in the general population.
Untrained individuals with a higher VO2max will tend
to perform better in endurance events than people
with lower values for aerobic power.
Is the same
true for top athletes?.
While it's true that elite endurance performers
often have ridiculously high values for VO2max
compared to us mere mortals, other factors at that
level come into play.
The
very best athlete won't necessarily have the
very highest VO2max. Lactate threshold,
locomotion velocity (the speed you are moving when
you hit VO2max) and nutritional status are
significant issues in elite competition.
Below are some values of VO2max for top athletes. To
give you a comparison the average sedentary female
has a VO2max of around 38 mL.kg.min and the
average male, 42 mL.kg.min...
|
VO2max Values For Elite
Athletes |
|
Sport |
Female |
Male |
|
Cross country skiers |
65 |
83 |
|
Middle distance runners |
59 |
80 |
|
Swimmers |
56 |
77 |
|
Speed skaters |
54 |
76 |
|
Cyclists |
56 |
75 |
|
Rowers |
42 |
61 |
|
Soccer players |
No data |
62 |
|
Fencers |
44 |
No data |
|
Weight lifters |
No data |
54 |
So
what factors affect a person's VO2max, and can you
improve them?
Factors Affecting
VO2max
There are 6 major factors that affect your aerobic
power;
1. Genetics
Genetics is said to play a 20-30% role in VO2max.
2. Your age
After the age of 25 VO2max decreases by 1% a year.
The good news is regular physical activity
throughout life can offset much of the decline.
3. Training status
Athletic training can alter a person's VO2max as
much as 20% depending on their lifestyle and fitness
habits.
4. Exercise mode
Measure an athlete's VO2max on a treadmill test,
then a cycle test and finally in a swimming pool and
the results will all differ significantly. Treadmill
running has been shown to produce the highest
values.
5. Your gender
Women generally have VO2max values that are 15-30%
lower than men's. This takes into account
differences in bodyweight. With a straight,
like-for-like comparison the difference is even
greater.
6. Your body composition
Much of the differences in VO2max between men and
women is attributed to body composition. Although
there are other biologic differences between the
sexes, research suggests VO2max decreases as body
fat percent increases.
So
can you improve your VO2max?
In
a nutshell aerobic power can improve 6-20%
with athletic training. However the larger gains
usually come from untrained, sedentary individuals.
If you are a regular exerciser and particularly if
you consider yourself to be an endurance athlete.
Chances are endurance training will only make small
improvements in your VO2max. You
can train specifically to improve your lactate
threshold. Very few people, even athletes can
exercise close to or at their VO2max for prolonged
periods.A
competitor may well have a higher VO2max than you
but with training you can tap more of your 'aerobic
potential' than they do. The net result? You
can maintain a faster pace than them for longer.
Another plus point to remember...
Having a high VO2max means nothing if you can't run,
swim or cycle very fast when you hit it. Improving
your movement economy so that you are running
faster for example when you hit your VO2max will
definitely improve your endurance performance.
The
final step is to measure your VO2max.
Measuring VO2max
There are 2 types of VO2max testing...
Direct testing does exactly what its name suggests
-- a gas analyzer is used to measure gas exchange
directly. Indirect testing predicts your
VO2max based on your performance in a fitness
test.
It's less accurate but provides a practical
alternative if you don't have $100,000 worth of
equipment and a lab technician handy!
Both indirect and direct tests can be maximal
or sub maximal. Simply put a maximal test
involves exercising to exhaustion. A sub maximal test
lasts for a set period of time or distance and is
more suitable for individuals who can't exercise all
out (i.e. elderly patients).
Knowing your VO2max on its own is useful. But it's
far more useful if you know and understand your
lactate or anaerobic threshold as well.
Course Contributor
Phil Davies
