How To Max Out Your VO2 For A Longer Life And Elite Fitness
Late July last year while on my standard running route across the nearby park:
175 beats per minute, my pulse is beating in my ear, and I breathe like a whale that is stranded.
My Fitness watch confirms what I feel with every cell in my body: High intensity, the red bar indicates how far beyond the regular pace I am.
I think to myself, “This is good, but please not on every run.”
The look on the faces of the bypassing weekend walkers and runners felt like they doubted my sanity. Why would you do that if you don`t have to?
More on that in a minute.
I pace down until I reach a pulse of 140 and repeat my next 30-second lap, almost as fast as I can. On my 6km route, I can do this 5-6 times, max.
Now, in mid-April and after I had to pause exercising entirely due to a bacterial infection…
This would be suicidal.
But…
The goal is to get back to that level of Fitness and aim to increase my Vo2max.
Here`s why it makes sense for you too.
VO2Max - What Is In It For You
The importance of exercise both for life quality and life expectancy has been proven by research.
Everybody knows they should move more, eat better, have less stress….
Exercise both benefits your life now and will help you grow into old age.
It will allow you to be around for your kids long enough.
It will allow you to be in good physical and mental health.
A high VO2 Max means a longer life expectancy and better health. It indicates good aerobic fitness and reduces the risk of death. People with a high VO2 Max are more active, healthier, and have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Compared to less fit people, they have a 500% lower risk of dying over ten years. It is therefore worth striving for a high level of fitness.
This improvement exceeds "normal risk factors" such as smoking (41%), diabetes (40%), high blood pressure (20%), and kidney failure (180%). This underlines the profound effect of physical activity on health. 1
What is Vo2max?
What Is VO2Max
VO2 Max, or maximal oxygen uptake, is the maximum rate at which an individual can consume oxygen during intense exercise.
It is a measure of aerobic fitness and cardiovascular health. The relationship between VO2 Max and longevity can be explained as follows:
Cardiovascular health: A higher VO2 Max indicates strong heart and lung function.
The heart can pump more blood with each beat, and the lungs can effectively oxygenate the blood. More blood with every heartbeat means higher efficiency.
This efficient oxygen delivery system supports overall health and can reduce the risk of chronic disease. Among other things, by lowering blood pressure.
Metabolic efficiency: Higher VO2 Max values show an increased efficiency of the body in utilizing oxygen for energy production.
This improved metabolic efficiency not only helps to reduce fatigue but also supports more effective calorie burning.
This contributes to weight control and can reduce the risk of obesity-related health problems, potentially leading to increased longevity.
Physical fitness and resilience: People with a higher VO2 Max generally have better physical fitness. They are more resistant to physical stress and their body can cope better with exertion and recover more quickly.
It amazes me how improving one crucial aspect has far-reaching consequences on your overall health.
How To Improve Your VO2Max
I recommend you combine two different exercise protocols.
150 minutes per week at a moderate intensity.
This is the amount of aerobic exercise the WHO advises everybody to do for overall Health and Fitness.
Challenging to find the time for it? 100%, but worth it.
Moderate intensity, often referred to as Zone 2, increases your Vo2max, but there are more effective ways.
Zone 2 is good because of two aspects.
It is the foundation that helps build an aerobic base. A base is what we need for all activities.
By getting better at working out with a lower heart rate (like in zone 2) without pushing your heart rate up and moving into a higher zone, you're basically expanding your foundation.
This means you'll be able to handle higher intensities more comfortably because your cardiovascular system will be in top shape.
You cannot build your house of Fitness without a strong base.
One cool thing about Zone 2 exercise is how it affects your mitochondria.
Just like you, your mitochondria get older too. Doing Zone 2 cardio helps you get rid of the old, damaged mitochondria and make more new ones in your body.
It is much easier to endure than higher intensities. Zone 2 refers to an intensity no higher than 70% of your maximum heart rate.
If you can still hold a conversation at this speed, there you are in Zone 2.
As a beginner in endurance training, this is your comfort zone.
And you shouldn`t leave it for a while.
The more you advance, the more you profit from changing things up.
Do you need to get into your running gear to build your Aerobic base?
No. At least not in the case of brisk walking.
Both Walking and slow jogging will get you into Zone 2.
I get my Zone 2 by a morning walk, hopping on a treadmill at the same speed sometimes during calls (the camera needs to be off), and jogging at low speed 1-2 a week.
HIIT
Many studies show that High-Intensity Interval Training is the most effective way to train your Vo2Max.
Remember the connection between elevated Vo2Max and increased life expectancy?
Running/Cycling/Swimming at high intensities do a better job at increasing these levels than Zone 2 Cardio.
Does this mean you should change from Zone 2 to HIIT altogether?
No.
HIIT is very demanding on your body, you need to have a solid Fitness base before doing these.
Now let`s get into them.
One study compared steady-state cardio with HIIT and found that
High-intensity aerobic interval training resulted in significantly increased V˙O2max compared to long slow distance and lactate threshold training intensities.
High-aerobic intensity endurance interval training was significantly more effective than performing the same total work at lactate threshold or at 70% HRmax in improving V˙O2max.
The study divided participants into four different groups
Long Slow Distance (LSD) Group: Training at 70% of maximal heart rate (HRmax).
Lactate Threshold (LT) Group: Training at 85% of HRmax.
15/15 Interval Running Group: 15 seconds of running at 90-95% HRmax followed by 15 seconds of active resting at 70% HRmax.
4 x 4 min Interval Running Group: 4 minutes of running at 90-95% HRmax followed by 3 minutes of active resting at 70% HRmax.
Group number 4 showed the biggest improvements in Vo2max from 55.5 to 60.4 mLIkgj1Iminj1, reflecting a 7.2% improvement.
How To Work Your Way Up
If you are coming from steady-state cardio, this might be too much of a leap.
You can work your way up by doing interval training for shorter bursts of duration.
Let`s say you run three times a week. Once a week, once you're warmed up (about 8-10 minutes in), go ahead and sprint for 30 seconds at about 85-90% of your max heart rate.
Or lower, if you feel uncomfortable with that intensity first.
Aim for 3-5 rounds of sprints.
Over a few weeks, increase the duration of your sprints.
Ans the intensity if you started lower than 85-90%.
This is the exact approach I will use.
Go by what feels best to you. I can tell you to increase by x amount of seconds every week, but that won`t help you. Make sure you see the progression.
After a few weeks, you should arrive at the stage where you run for 4 minutes, followed by 4 minutes of lower intensity at 70% of max.
How To Test Your VO2Max
Lab
The best way to measure your V02 max is in a lab where they hook you up to a mask and heart rate monitor while running on a treadmill or riding a bike.
Based on the amount of oxygen you inhale and exhale into the mask, the Vo2max will be determined accurately.
The verdict: best method might not be feasible for you. At least not for me.
I don not assume you want to get into a lab to test yours.
The next best thing you can do might remind you of your time in school.
Cooper test, whichever PE teacher introduced this to us never had a chance to be kept in loving memory.
Please skip to measurement at home if you dread a Cooper test as much as I do.
Cooper Test:
Run or walk as far as you can in 12 minutes. Measure the distance covered. VO2 max can then be estimated using the formula VO2 max = (22,351 * kilometers covered - 11,288) in ml/(kg*min).
Here`s how to determine your Vo2max from your home.
Overgaard-Pedersen formula
measure the resting heart rate (RHR): Find a quiet place and relax. Take your pulse by counting your heartbeat for one minute. It is best to do this in the morning immediately after waking up. Repeat the measurement for several days to obtain an average value.
calculate your maximum heart rate (MHR): The general formula is MHR = 220 minus your age. Example: If you are 30 years old, your MHR would be 220 - 30 = 190 beats per minute.
apply the Overgaard-Pedersen formula: The formula is VO2 max = 15 * (MHR / RHR). Insert your MHR and RHR values into the formula.
calculate the VO2 max: For example, if your MHR is 190 and your RHR is 60, your VO2 max would be: 15 * (190 / 60) ≈ 47.5 ml/(kg*min). This value indicates how many milliliters of oxygen your body can use per minute and kilogram of body weight at maximum effort.
You may do any of the tests if you want to see your baseline level and repeat the measurement a few weeks later.
If you don`t care about these numbers, trust in the training protocol.
There is no doubt that your numbers will go up.
Summary
The good thing is that you can lower your training time with HIIT.
The great thing is that HIIT can raise your Fitness to a whole new level.
The best thing about HIIT is that it will help you live longer.
The painful thing is that it is going to hurt for a while.
Always be sure you are properly warmed up.
If you’re tired of:
Having low energy and procrastination
Failing to stick to a healthy und sustainable diet
Random Fitness programs that disregard your personal circumstances
With just 3 hours per week I will help you get your desired goals and make you feel and look your best.
Reply “Summer 2024”
I’ll speak to you soon.
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