19 Jun Measuring Your VO2 Max
If you compete in athletic events you probably want to know your personal VO2 max. The most accurate method for gauging your VO2 max is to go to a sports performance lab with special clinical equipment.
However, some gyms and health clinics offer VO2 max testing for their members or patients. If you’re really interested, your best bet is to search “VO2 max testing near me” on Google.
To measure VO2 max in a clinical setting, you put on a special mask and wear a heart rate monitor hooked up to a treadmill or stationary bike. Everything is attached to a machine that collects and measures the volume of oxygen you inhale, and the amount you exhale.
While on the treadmill or bike, you slowly increase your exercise intensity — getting faster and/ or adding more resistance — until your oxygen consumption remains steady despite an increase in intensity.
The clinician calculates your VO2 max from the various readings, and you leave the lab with an excellent idea of your VO2 max and current fitness levels.
Other VO2 Max Tests
Some personal trainers and fitness instructors are certified to administer certain types of VO2 max tests. These tests are usually called “submaximal” because they don’t necessarily give you the same level of accuracy that a controlled laboratory test can provide.
Here is a summary of various submaximal tests used for VO2 max testing.
The Astrand Treadmill Test
With this test, you maintain a constant running speed with a 2.5% increase in the treadmill slope every two minutes, until exhaustion.
When you are unable to continue, the assistant stops the stopwatch and records your time. A formula is used to calculate your VO2 max.
This test protocol was first described by Per-Olof Astrand in 1952. In comparative studies, a properly executed Astrand test has proven to be reliable and deviate from clinical tests by only 6% and produces the least amount of error compared to other submaximal tests.
The 2.4 km Run Test
With this test, you run at maximum speed for 2.4 km, performing six laps. The time it takes to cover each lap, as well as the overall time taken to run the entire course is recorded. The lap timings are used to calculate your VO2 max.
Multi-Stage Bleep Test
Developed in the early 1980s, this test was created to provide a cost-effective prediction of VO2 max in children, teens, and adults. It requires that you perform continuous 20-meter shuttle runs, in which you must reach the opposite end of the 20-meter course before the next beep sounds. The time between recorded beeps decreases each minute, meaning you have to increase your running speed.
Basic Treadmill Test
Here, you run on a treadmill with a starting slope of 0 degree and a speed of 7 miles/hour. The slope is increased by 2 degrees at the end of every minute (without taking a pause in the run), until you are no longer able to continue. A VO2 max calculator is used to figure out your aerobic capacity, based on the readings recorded from your treadmill run.
The Cooper 1.5-Mile Walk-Run Test
You get on a treadmill and walk or run at your own pace. There is no need for the slope to be increased. The goal of this test is to achieve the shortest possible time. As you walk or run on the treadmill, a trainer runs the stopwatch until you reach the 1.5 miles.
Your VO2 max is then calculated from the input using a special formula. This test was developed by Kenneth Cooper, MD as an easy way to measure aerobic fitness and provide an estimate of VO2 max.
He also devised another VO2 max test that involves running or walking as far as possible in a 12-minute period on a running track. Dr. Cooper discovered that there is a high correlation between the distance someone can run (or walk) in 12 minutes and their VO2 max. A stopwatch is required for ensuring that you run for the correct amount of time.
Tracking VO2 Max with Fitness Watches
Many fitness trackers and watches are designed to monitor your VO2 max. Generally, the more you wear and use your device, the more reliable your VO2 max measurements will become.
The Apple Watch has VO2 max as a metric, but so do many other brands such as Garmin, Fitbit, Polar, and Samsung, among others.
Researchers have been putting wearables to the test. Probably the most comprehensive study came from researchers at Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville.
The purpose of their study was to compare VO2 max values from gold-standard lab testing with predicted VO2 max values obtained from the Polar V800 (PV800) and the Garmin Forerunner 230 (GF230) to determine whether the accuracy of these estimates differs between men and women.
Subjects in this study consisted of 22 women and 22 men. The PV800 predicts VO2 max based on resting heart rate (HR). The GF230 predicts VO2 max based on a 10-minute, self-paced outdoor run. The results of the study indicated that the GF230 provides an accurate estimate of VO2 max in both sexes.
The PV800 gives an accurate estimate of VO2 max for women but not for men. The researchers noted: “Estimates of VO2 max from both devices should be used with caution because of the large random error associated with them.” Their study was published in 2021 in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
Other tests have produced similar results, with wearables overestimating VO2 max by about 10 percent compared to lab testing, and Garmin technology giving you a VO2 max estimate within about 5 percent of your true value.
Although many of the popular fitness trackers and phone apps claim to use VO2 max readings, they are often inaccurate. But as technology improves, they are getting much better.
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