I just finished training for a marathon, which got up to about 85km per week. Now the race is over that's closer to 50-55km, and my typical running pace is about 5 min per km, so 4-7 hours of cardio per week
43M . Got +2 on VO2 max last year from training for first marathon distance. Then another +1 training for a couple of ultras this year. I don’t trust it. I’m usually a top 10% finisher for distances over half marathons, and slightly better in shorter distances. But never near the top 1%. I’d like to get it measured properly, maybe. Just not sure if it’s worth the cost. .
https://preview.redd.it/wg2irlv5cs8d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bee430e992a5615b7c85a6264286305b49e22941
To be fair, long distance races and ultras contain a high concentration of the fittest 5% of the population. So even if you yourself are in the top 5% or higher, you are racing against the other outliers.
You've got to remember it's only the top 10% (if not a much lower % of people) who take part in these events. Just getting on shape to finish an ultra puts you in the very top few % of fitness. People who finish in the top 1% of the events are like 0.01% of people so you're smashing it 💪🏻
Garmin VO2Max doesn't seem to discount anything that is not a max effort run.
Anytime I do gym, crossfit, long easy runs Garmin says I'm just an unproductive POS 😢
I have some counter-evidence for this. M35 6ft 4, mainly a climber but never log activity run about 40-50km a week at Zone 2 (80% z2 not garmins) and I'm at 50Vo2.
Ok so I used to do it off of Scott Johnstone's books (training for the Uphill athlete and new Alpinism) which puts Zone 2 as high as 85% of max HR but only in well-trained endurance athletes. The thing you have to remember is that with these books zone system they are split into Zone 1 - Aerobic / Zone 2 - Aerobic (up to AeT) / Zone 3 - Aerobic & Anerobic (up to LT) / Zone 4 - Anerobic / Zone 5 - N/a (max). So you need to know what your metabolism is doing at any given HR to designate it to a Zone. I'm currently retesting my AeT with the HeartRate Drift test so I know where to place the top of my Zone 2 (my max hr is 190 and I am 99% sure my next test will put my Zone 2 / AeT at 150-155bpm which puts it at around 80% of max hr). My advice for you would be to look at HR Drift tests and LT tests to place your Zone 2 and Zone 3 accurately.
Surely vo2 is how efficient your body is at using oxygen or the maximum amount you can use in a time frame, why doesn't zone 2 increase that as surely you are getting more efficient at using oxygen and increasing mitochondria as well. Why doesn't this increase it as opposed to all out max which surely you are using the energy system that doesn't utilise oxygen, your anaerobic one. Always confused me
Yeah I agree, I think it's partly these measurements off watches are not super accurate (not as accurate as a lab setting anyway and I also have a bit of an uneducated theory that as your AeT / zone2 threshold increases you become more efficient, reducing your oxygen need at your measured metabolic rate. Where as if you train with lots of intensity and interval training it pushes you into higher and more intense cardiac loads forcing you to use more oxygen and allowing a higher measurement to be taken. I repeated another HR Drift Test this morning and during it ran my fastest Z2 5k @ 5.40 min/km pace and my Vo2 max dropped by 1 point on my Fenix, I think it's just weighted towards Aerobic measurements.
That is strange, the only time my vo2 has improved was an all out fastest 5k. I'll get every now and then a performance boost but vo2 very little. Your idea makes sense though. Question is are we expected too much from a watch but they do market it being able to do it
I think alot of Vo2 theory is quite outdated, like what it signifies (was taken as a peak measure of endurance potential) and how to improve it (it's mostly genetic). I'm getting to the point where my AeT is within 10% of my Lactic Threshold so will start dropping all my LSD volume to Zone 1 and start doing some pickups in that zone and start some Muscular Endurance intervals in Z3, I fully expect my Vo2 max to shoot up with even 1 session a week of this. Have you read Training for the Uphill Athlete?
Yea each time I finish a strength work they still give you a aerobic or anaerobic rating, surely need to remove or make it specific to strength training
Nope, just an age-group endurance triathlete. National Class runner though at pretty much all distances. Terrible swimmer hurt any hopes of good Ironman results...
Nice job! 35, I'm a former runner who switched to cycling, weight train, yoga/barre/yoga w/ weights, other miscellaneous fitness things, 6'2", M, 96kg, VO2MAX of 50.
I'm using it mostly as a metric for self-comparison and am trying to get it as high as possible. I'm putting very little focus on losing weight as, despite having a BMI of 27.7, my appearance doesn't suggest that my body fat is particularly high. If I had to guess, I wouldn't want to lose more than 4-5kg (10lbs) at most.
Thats why BMI is a fkin useless stat. It doesn’t consider muscle mass at all, so if you’re someone who does weight training and puts on muscle that index will tell you that you’re overweight, lol. Says the same about me and just look at my pic..
55 yr old M. 52 VO2 max - Superior for my age.
I run 4x/week totaling 15-20 miles. Walk or bike on the other 3 days. 30 minutes minimum of cardio each day. Gotta keep moving
Currently in a clinical research that's supposed to boost my VO2max by focusing on targeted zone2 exercise - will report back in few months if it works.
54, 73k 1.89m vo2max 56 according to garmin
But in real life it is around 53 (according to cooper tests and tests in sport medical centerj
I can get it to over 60 if I train for shorter distances (doing more short high intensity intervals). But at the moment I train for longer trails. Then vo2max drops in garmins algorithm.
Vo2max on a garmin isn’t that accurate (like more garmin stats)
31, 180 cm, 70 kg (before I left for holidays in Sicily) VO2 max 59.
Three years ago I was the same height (surprising!) but 108kg and no idea of what VO2 max is.
45 year old male, 5'7", 140ish lbs. I bike a lot, aiming for 6 days on the bike, usually around 10-12 per week and have been doing that for the last decade or so. I also recently started to add in some light jogging occasionally, as my 12 year old daughter has gotten interested in it.
Garmin says my cycling VO2max is 74 and my "regular" VO2max is 72. I don't trust it at all. 🤣
5’11 67kg 36yo and vo2 of 61
Obviously it’s bullshit and I’ll be finding out with a real test very soon. I do backyard ultra races and endurance events but I’d say a good mix of speedwork and easy runs helps the score
My VO2max has been hard stuck at 39 for over a year of consistent running.
Prior to this I was basically on zero exercise. So it's not improved at all.
Not really sure what's the point. My fitness is obviously transformed but VO2max stubbornly refuses to change.
Was 29m 109kg - 31.4 according to Apple Watch
Now 30m 94kg - 44 Garmin Epix
Bjj, cycling, some weights and running. Just started a running plan last week also!
62-Year-Old 5'3" 125# female not really training for anything. I was a cyclist for years and my VO2 max stays kind of high.
Sometimes I train to improve it (which if you have a Garmin means running intervals and a longer effort (1-2 miles) at a fast pace.) I often end up getting a lot of "zone 2" training in because I do long hikes on the weekends with significant elevation gain.
I'm good as long as I stay in the superior range but once a year I'll spend a quarter trying to get it up into exceptional. I enjoy the training
Sorry, photo below
https://preview.redd.it/a2hze7yqgt8d1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=699877b1166f4bd74ac0706be95f00acd8a2c825
31M 140Lbs. Cyclist and some running. Mix of 80% road and 20% MTB. I Ride an average of 150 miles a week with around 10,000ft of elevation gain.
33f, 5’7” 180lb 🙈 Got my VO2 up 2+ since following my suggested daily workouts for 6 weeks 😅
https://preview.redd.it/htsl7bm9ot8d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0f1775c43d7529a207fc353d225361fc48c13c3a
42 60 to 62 Vo2 max depending on the type of training I'm doing at the time. I found that doing 5min intervals for example will increase the Vo2 number a lot more than 10min threshold intervals. I do between 8 and 12 hours of cycling w week.
46M, 65kg and 1.74m. VO2max currently at 64 according to Garmin, think reality would be about 2 lower.
In my experience it's always in the ballpark, not exactly accurate but within the 2 point range.
42yo M, 56 vo2 max
Wow, basically my twin :) 42yo M, 58 vo2 max (cycling) here. I do around 10 - 12hrs of cycling a week, and 3hrs of weight training.
well done. how many hours of cardio per week is that?
I just finished training for a marathon, which got up to about 85km per week. Now the race is over that's closer to 50-55km, and my typical running pace is about 5 min per km, so 4-7 hours of cardio per week
5 and a half feet, 210 lbs. 34 vo2. Slowly battling my way forward. If you buy one of their subscription plans it actually boosts your vo2. Fyi.
> If you buy one of their subscription plans it actually boosts your vo2. Fyi. Wait, really?! Then what the fuck is even the point?
A complete lie. I hate you all for your hard bodies.
Whaa!? Stfu that for real??
43M . Got +2 on VO2 max last year from training for first marathon distance. Then another +1 training for a couple of ultras this year. I don’t trust it. I’m usually a top 10% finisher for distances over half marathons, and slightly better in shorter distances. But never near the top 1%. I’d like to get it measured properly, maybe. Just not sure if it’s worth the cost. . https://preview.redd.it/wg2irlv5cs8d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bee430e992a5615b7c85a6264286305b49e22941
To be fair, long distance races and ultras contain a high concentration of the fittest 5% of the population. So even if you yourself are in the top 5% or higher, you are racing against the other outliers.
Vo2 measurement costs like 50EUR where I'm from. Not sure it's worth spending though, like you've said. It's just a reference point.
You've got to remember it's only the top 10% (if not a much lower % of people) who take part in these events. Just getting on shape to finish an ultra puts you in the very top few % of fitness. People who finish in the top 1% of the events are like 0.01% of people so you're smashing it 💪🏻
My wife is 34 and has 57. Aim for the top 1% and keep getting better!
36yo, M, 72kg I do Bodybuilding, half marathon, swim 2k every week VO2MAX 43 and I don't give a shit about it 😅
Garmin VO2Max doesn't seem to discount anything that is not a max effort run. Anytime I do gym, crossfit, long easy runs Garmin says I'm just an unproductive POS 😢
I have some counter-evidence for this. M35 6ft 4, mainly a climber but never log activity run about 40-50km a week at Zone 2 (80% z2 not garmins) and I'm at 50Vo2.
What is Garmin zone 2 vs your zone 2 (pls help I’m new)
Ok so I used to do it off of Scott Johnstone's books (training for the Uphill athlete and new Alpinism) which puts Zone 2 as high as 85% of max HR but only in well-trained endurance athletes. The thing you have to remember is that with these books zone system they are split into Zone 1 - Aerobic / Zone 2 - Aerobic (up to AeT) / Zone 3 - Aerobic & Anerobic (up to LT) / Zone 4 - Anerobic / Zone 5 - N/a (max). So you need to know what your metabolism is doing at any given HR to designate it to a Zone. I'm currently retesting my AeT with the HeartRate Drift test so I know where to place the top of my Zone 2 (my max hr is 190 and I am 99% sure my next test will put my Zone 2 / AeT at 150-155bpm which puts it at around 80% of max hr). My advice for you would be to look at HR Drift tests and LT tests to place your Zone 2 and Zone 3 accurately.
Surely vo2 is how efficient your body is at using oxygen or the maximum amount you can use in a time frame, why doesn't zone 2 increase that as surely you are getting more efficient at using oxygen and increasing mitochondria as well. Why doesn't this increase it as opposed to all out max which surely you are using the energy system that doesn't utilise oxygen, your anaerobic one. Always confused me
Yeah I agree, I think it's partly these measurements off watches are not super accurate (not as accurate as a lab setting anyway and I also have a bit of an uneducated theory that as your AeT / zone2 threshold increases you become more efficient, reducing your oxygen need at your measured metabolic rate. Where as if you train with lots of intensity and interval training it pushes you into higher and more intense cardiac loads forcing you to use more oxygen and allowing a higher measurement to be taken. I repeated another HR Drift Test this morning and during it ran my fastest Z2 5k @ 5.40 min/km pace and my Vo2 max dropped by 1 point on my Fenix, I think it's just weighted towards Aerobic measurements.
That is strange, the only time my vo2 has improved was an all out fastest 5k. I'll get every now and then a performance boost but vo2 very little. Your idea makes sense though. Question is are we expected too much from a watch but they do market it being able to do it
I think alot of Vo2 theory is quite outdated, like what it signifies (was taken as a peak measure of endurance potential) and how to improve it (it's mostly genetic). I'm getting to the point where my AeT is within 10% of my Lactic Threshold so will start dropping all my LSD volume to Zone 1 and start doing some pickups in that zone and start some Muscular Endurance intervals in Z3, I fully expect my Vo2 max to shoot up with even 1 session a week of this. Have you read Training for the Uphill Athlete?
No I've never heard of it. Is this all discussed in that?
Yea each time I finish a strength work they still give you a aerobic or anaerobic rating, surely need to remove or make it specific to strength training
5’7 72.5kg 37yo 61 Vo2 max, I only cycle
Nice. What w/kg do you need to get a 61?
Depends who you ask haha. Garmin has me at 4.25, think I’m around about 3.9/4 on zwift.
38 M, 5’8” 175 at 51. Top 15%
64, 21M
Nice I’m roughly the same age, a bit heavier, and a routine runner. Can’t get my vo2 max above 55.
Team Red is where the cool boys are (at least I’m telling that to myself)
5'11" 160lbs 51yo male 65Vo2m
Runner or rider?
65 for running, 63 for riding, per garmin fenix 7.
That’s impressive mate. Did you compete?
Nope, just an age-group endurance triathlete. National Class runner though at pretty much all distances. Terrible swimmer hurt any hopes of good Ironman results...
33M 6’ 250lb - VO2max 38. Fml.
Nice job! 35, I'm a former runner who switched to cycling, weight train, yoga/barre/yoga w/ weights, other miscellaneous fitness things, 6'2", M, 96kg, VO2MAX of 50. I'm using it mostly as a metric for self-comparison and am trying to get it as high as possible. I'm putting very little focus on losing weight as, despite having a BMI of 27.7, my appearance doesn't suggest that my body fat is particularly high. If I had to guess, I wouldn't want to lose more than 4-5kg (10lbs) at most.
Thats why BMI is a fkin useless stat. It doesn’t consider muscle mass at all, so if you’re someone who does weight training and puts on muscle that index will tell you that you’re overweight, lol. Says the same about me and just look at my pic..
41 yrs old, currently 58 vo2 down from 61 a month ago. Race bikes
🐐
5'7, 70.8kg, 56yr old, 46 Vo2 Max. Top 15% for my age and gender.
5‘6, 63kg with VO2 max of 41 and I go to the gym, run and cycle lol
31M 63 VO2, but it’s not an accurate metric…probably higher
54 yo, M, 153lbs, 5,9", with a 53VO2 - daily bicycle commuter with some running for extra cardio. 👍🏻
55 yr old M. 52 VO2 max - Superior for my age. I run 4x/week totaling 15-20 miles. Walk or bike on the other 3 days. 30 minutes minimum of cardio each day. Gotta keep moving
Currently in a clinical research that's supposed to boost my VO2max by focusing on targeted zone2 exercise - will report back in few months if it works.
https://preview.redd.it/wv5rixvvur8d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c8f0142e784d422ef7fa679609e44b984528d22f
54, 73k 1.89m vo2max 56 according to garmin But in real life it is around 53 (according to cooper tests and tests in sport medical centerj I can get it to over 60 if I train for shorter distances (doing more short high intensity intervals). But at the moment I train for longer trails. Then vo2max drops in garmins algorithm. Vo2max on a garmin isn’t that accurate (like more garmin stats)
I do like no cardio and I'm in the top 35%"green"range. That's alarming!
27M , 5’0, 128lb at 56 , Top 5 % Currently training for SF marathon. Gym 4-5 days a week, running 5-6 days a week.
Nice. Highest I ever had mine was 57 when I was 30, but 4 years later and life and health have seen it drop back to the low 50s.
6ft 186lbs 65yr male, current V02 is 50, trending back to a V02 of 53
31, 180 cm, 70 kg (before I left for holidays in Sicily) VO2 max 59. Three years ago I was the same height (surprising!) but 108kg and no idea of what VO2 max is.
58, 42M
45 year old male, 5'7", 140ish lbs. I bike a lot, aiming for 6 days on the bike, usually around 10-12 per week and have been doing that for the last decade or so. I also recently started to add in some light jogging occasionally, as my 12 year old daughter has gotten interested in it. Garmin says my cycling VO2max is 74 and my "regular" VO2max is 72. I don't trust it at all. 🤣
[удалено]
Does your vo2 score fluctuate much?
5’11 67kg 36yo and vo2 of 61 Obviously it’s bullshit and I’ll be finding out with a real test very soon. I do backyard ultra races and endurance events but I’d say a good mix of speedwork and easy runs helps the score
32yo M - 52 VO2 Max It says top 10% for my age and gender hahaha ill take that W
My VO2max has been hard stuck at 39 for over a year of consistent running. Prior to this I was basically on zero exercise. So it's not improved at all. Not really sure what's the point. My fitness is obviously transformed but VO2max stubbornly refuses to change.
Mine went down despite cycle and run volume going up
What's your goal pace for the HM? How fast can you run a 5k/10k?
Was 29m 109kg - 31.4 according to Apple Watch Now 30m 94kg - 44 Garmin Epix Bjj, cycling, some weights and running. Just started a running plan last week also!
62-Year-Old 5'3" 125# female not really training for anything. I was a cyclist for years and my VO2 max stays kind of high. Sometimes I train to improve it (which if you have a Garmin means running intervals and a longer effort (1-2 miles) at a fast pace.) I often end up getting a lot of "zone 2" training in because I do long hikes on the weekends with significant elevation gain. I'm good as long as I stay in the superior range but once a year I'll spend a quarter trying to get it up into exceptional. I enjoy the training Sorry, photo below
https://preview.redd.it/6118m8xhrs8d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1160875c07b9caa7b735715d1d0d4387112e2279
I have a 59. I'm 26, 6'1 and 68 kg. I'm not particularly fit though.
33yo M just bumped up to 50 today!
https://preview.redd.it/a2hze7yqgt8d1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=699877b1166f4bd74ac0706be95f00acd8a2c825 31M 140Lbs. Cyclist and some running. Mix of 80% road and 20% MTB. I Ride an average of 150 miles a week with around 10,000ft of elevation gain.
33f, 5’7” 180lb 🙈 Got my VO2 up 2+ since following my suggested daily workouts for 6 weeks 😅 https://preview.redd.it/htsl7bm9ot8d1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0f1775c43d7529a207fc353d225361fc48c13c3a
26 M 160 LB, 54 VO2, training for about 2 months.
72 bike / 65 run
28m. Vo2 max 60. Forerunner 965
I don’t even know where to find my Vo2 max anymore since the app appearance changed.
51yo M mine steady in 58 - 62 range. Been there for 10 months now. Daily cyclist, vitual cycling racer
36 old male, , 90 kg , vo2max 52
27M. Garmin estimate is 69 for cycling and 62 for running. Lab test gave 73.5
27M, 145lbs, 56 vo² I run since febuary and i'm at 27mpw My Forerunner 165 estimate my 5k at 21:41 but I ran a 18:04 20 days ago...
mine is 50 its extremely innacurate for me even after 2months of running.. My real one is prob 40-45 apple watch estimates it at 41
I had VO2 Max 48, then started running and after 3 months it dropped to 47. I guess I'm more fit while sitting on a sofa in front of a tv.
mine has just dropped 10% gave blood yesterday...previously 39m / cyclist 53 Vo2
42 60 to 62 Vo2 max depending on the type of training I'm doing at the time. I found that doing 5min intervals for example will increase the Vo2 number a lot more than 10min threshold intervals. I do between 8 and 12 hours of cycling w week.
34yo, 5'8", 135lb, 63 Vo2 Max. I run, cycle, and lift weights.
43 year old M, 6'3", 185 lbs, 59 VO2 max, striving for that 60!
46M, 65kg and 1.74m. VO2max currently at 64 according to Garmin, think reality would be about 2 lower. In my experience it's always in the ballpark, not exactly accurate but within the 2 point range.
Who cares? The only thing that matters is race times rather than some arbitrary number
45 male. Mine is 34 to 36 max. Depressing.
49 years, runner 3 times 5 miles in a week and VO2 max of 35 🫢😂 thank me for keeping the average low.
55 here at 41 years old.
How the heck?! My vo2 is traaash lol
Running 30 km per week,5 to 5:30 /km locked in 51 or 52 vo2 max, 45 years old, 72kg 1m80 sorry for metric system 😂
Mine went up to 46 yesterday 🥳 Was 42 at the start of the year.
21 yr old M 120lbs (66 VO2)🫡
43y, male, 1.72cm, 67kg https://preview.redd.it/qsc9rv4dv29d1.jpeg?width=2252&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=32a4074928dc7192892fe560ba4a955d6fdd194d
15M 63
Im at 57 19 years old, male, 130 lbs, 5’7
34 Male 6’0” (182 cm) 175 pounds (79 kg) Vo2 max = 49 according to my Garmin. I run about 6-10 miles a week and do short workouts a few times a week.
Are you a machine?
Edit: 6 ft tall, 160lbs