Setting a new personal maximum is a great way to chart your progress towards your fitness goals.What’s the easiest way to do that? One useful step is to improve VO2 max, which is a measure of the amount of oxygen the body can take up and use during exercise. The more oxygen your body can use during exercise, the better you will perform, whether you’re running a long-distance race or playing a sport like tennis or soccer.
How to measure VO2 max
your VO2 max is typically measured in a laboratory or medical setting, where you wear a mask that measures the amount of air you breathe and a heart rate monitor, and then gradually increase the intensity of your exercise. At some point, depending on your fitness level, the amount of oxygen you are using plateaus, at which point your body switches from aerobic to anaerobic breathing. This is your maximum oxygen uptake. Generally speaking, the higher the plateau, the higher your fitness level.
Properly measuring VO2 max requires a lot of specialized equipment. That is, it is usually only done for a specific purpose. There are other methods of estimating VO2 max that require less equipment but are less accurate. submaximal exercise testThese tests typically involve structured exercise, such as running on a treadmill, and use the results to calculate your estimated VO2 max. for example, cooper test Run or walk as far as you can in 12 minutes and use that distance to estimate your max VO2. If his performance on the test improves, that’s a sign that his VO2 max has improved as well.
of VO2 estimates provided by activity trackers Calculations vary by brand and model, but we typically compare running or walking speed to heart rate variability, but these measurements are only approximate.
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How to improve your VO2 max
There are two general strategies that can help improve your VO2 Max.Initially builds an aerobic baseThis is achieved by doing lots of low-intensity aerobic exercise. In running, that means slowly running long, long miles with the goal of building up mileage over time. It helps you to take it in and use it efficiently.
As an exercise physiologist and Ironman coach Alan Cousins It is described in blog post For SimpliFaster, in our experience working with athletes, we tend to see maximum VO2 max increases when training plans include more low-intensity cardio.
In addition to these long, slow miles, we recommend adding them to a more traditional “VO2 max” workout. 90-95% of maximum heart rateThese short, intense bursts help boost your body’s capabilities even further.
However, you may find yourself wanting to push yourself (and feel good) every time you exercise. High-intensity intervals should only be a small part of your overall workout routine.as Jason Fitzgerald wrote for External magazineyou should avoid Work long hours at VO2 max levels Harsh to the body.instead, he advise“Save most of these intense specific workouts for the final stages of training when you’re honing for the race.”
