which assessment did we use in this course to measure vo2 max?

by Travis Jenkins 7 min read

VO2 Max is determined by monitoring your heart rate and oxygen consumption during a gradual step test to exhaustion. In the simplest versions of testing, this can be performed on a treadmill or cycle ergometer.

Full Answer

What is the VO2 max test?

Measuring VO 2 max By putting a face mask on the subject, we can directly measure the volume and gas concentrations of inspired and expired air. This measure is often used in research and is considered the most accurate.

What is the best way to do a VO2 test?

Aug 06, 2019 · At SHIFT, we measure VO2 max using either a treadmill or stationary bike. Our members wear a mask and a heart rate monitor. The mask is connected to a device that collects and measures the volume and oxygen concentration inhaled and exhaled.

What is a good VO2 max training pace?

We sought to determine conclusively whether .VO2 attains a maximal value that subsequently plateaus or decreases with further increases in exercise intensity. Methods: Fifty-two subjects (36 men, 16 women) performed three series of incremental exercise tests while measuring .VO2 using the Douglas bag method. On the day after each incremental ...

Do Fitness trackers measure VO2 max?

VO2 Max is determined by monitoring your heart rate and oxygen consumption during a gradual step test to exhaustion. In the simplest versions of testing, this can be performed on a treadmill or cycle ergometer.

What is VO2max?

VO2max is a measure of the maximal volume of oxygen your body can use and it’s a good indicator of cardiovascular fitness. It’s measured in ml/kg/min, millilitres per kilogram of body-weight per minute.

How To Test It?

A true VO2max test involves fitting the subject with a mask and making them exercise to failure. This is conducted in a lab and is usually quite expensive. What i’ll be doing is trying out six simple tests that give me an estimate of my VO2max.

What is a Good Score on a VO2 max Test?

When it comes to VO2 max, “good” is a relative term, and the answer will be based on two things: your gender and your age.

Six VO2 max Tests

My six tests range from a non-exercise test (online questionnaire) to a maximal run. Each test comes with a margin of error and so by taking multiple tests I can identify a small range that my VO2 max should lie within.

My Results

When put in order you can see my lowest score was from the Bleep Test and my highest from the One Mile Jog.

Conclusion

If you are not an elite athlete and are interested in determining your VO2 max out of curiosity I recommend taking the Queens College Step Test. At 3 minutes long it was the shortest duration exercise test and could be conducted at home.

How to determine VO2 max?

How to determine your VO2 max running pace: A moderately fit person can sustain a VO2 max pace for roughly 6 to 8 minutes. So, one way to determine your max VO2 pace is to warm up, then run for 8 minutes at the maximum intensity level you can sustain for 8 minutes. If, for simplicity's sake, you ran one mile, then your VO2 max training pace is 8 ...

What are the components of a VO2 score?

VO2 max has three primary components: Lung capacity and heart volume: The more oxygen your lungs can intake and the more oxygenated blood your heart can pump, the higher your VO2 score. Capillary delivery: The more oxygenated blood your circulatory system can transport to your muscles, the higher your VO2 score.

Why is VO2 important?

Knowing your current VO2 max is key to understanding and improving your fitness. It serves as a baseline measurement of your fitness level today, and it can inform your training to improve your VO2 max readings in the future.

What is VO2 max?

VO2 max is the maximum volume (V) of oxygen (O2) your body can process. A VO2 max score is a little like horsepower in a car—it’s a measure of the capacity your body (engine) has to use oxygen when exercising. If you have a high VO2 max, you have a big engine. VO2 max has three primary components:

How to increase VO2 max?

Simply divide your VO2 max pace by 85 percent (.85) , then use that pace for a 20-minute run. These are just two examples of types of training to improve your VO2 max.

VO2max

If you can get your VO2max tested in a lab type setting, then it’s not a bad idea. You can collect a lot of useful data. However, from my experience, it’s fairly tough to find a good place to have one conducted with fairly decent equipment. If you can find one, it’s probably going to be a couple hundred bucks.

Modified Balke-Ware

The best place to perform this test is a local track on a decent day (light wind/moderate temps). You want to be fairly warmed up for this test, so do your normal warmup routine. You are essentially turning this into a 15 minute race. Then you will be solving for this equation:

Normative VO2max levels for non-athletes (Sedentary)

After determining your baseline VO max, you can repeat this test in the middle of your training to check your progress. Keep in mind that the more advanced the runner, the fewer changes are seen. Also, some folks are called “non-responders” which simply means that they don’t respond very fast to training.

What are the factors that affect VO2 max?

Other factors which can affect VO2 max are age, gender, genetics, level and type of physical training. The VO2 max can be used as a gauge of general cardiovascular health but also to monitor progression of fitness with various types of training.

How is oxygen consumption calculated?

It is calculated by the amount of oxygen consumption/minute during an exercise protocol. Oxygen consumption can rise linearly with exercise up until a point. Gradually, the oxygen consumption plateaus as the intensity increases and the CO2 in the blood rises as the lactic acid in the muscle rises during exercise.

How is VO2 max measured?

VO2 max is measured in milliliters of oxygen consumed in one minute, per kilogram of body weight (mL/kg/min). It's not the same thing as heart rate, though it can be just as effective, if not more so, to measure and track your fitness progress.

Why is VO2 max important?

Your VO2 max could be the key to improving your cardiovascular fitness. If you're a fitness fiend like any other, you're probably always looking for ways to run faster and farther, workout harder and push your limits by any means necessary.

What is the maximum amount of oxygen you can use during exercise?

VO2 max refers to the maximum amount of oxygen you can utilize during exercise. It's commonly used to test the aerobic endurance or cardiovascular fitness of athletes before and at the end of a training cycle. VO2 max is measured in milliliters of oxygen consumed in one minute, per kilogram of body weight (mL/kg/min).

Does exercise increase VO2?

In a theoretical sense, any exercise that pushes your limits can increase your VO2 max.

Is it worth getting your VO2 max checked?

If you ever do get around to visiting a sports performance lab and getting your VO2 max tested, it'd be worth it to act on that number. Increasing your body's capacity to utilize oxygen is one surefire way to get you closer to your endurance-related goals — a higher VO2 max essentially extends your breaking point.