Measuring your oxygen consumption (VO2max)

30Nov09

When we talk about the science of training, the first test that often comes to mind is measuing maximal oxygen consumption (or VO2max). Oxygen consumption is the amount of oxygen (expressed as a volume or V) used by the muscles during a specified interval of time for cell metabolism and energy production. All cells in the body need oxygen to carry out their functions and produce energy. Maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) is the maximum volume of oxygen that can be used per minute, representing any individual’s upper limit of aerobic (or oxygen dependent) metabolism. It can be expressed as an absolute amout (again as a volume per minute) or as a % of each individual’s personal maximum (%VO2max).

Measuring one’s VO2max ultimately describes the athlete’s ability for his body to utilize more of the oxygen that he breathes. And since oxygen is necessary for energy production by each cell in the body, it is assumed that the a higherVO2max indicates more athletic potential. VO2max is somewhat dependent on genetics and is affected by several factors:

lung capacity (getting oxygen from the air into the blood which is passing through the lungs)
cardiac output (the amount of blood pumped by the heart per minute)
the ability of the muscle cells to extract oxygen from the blood passing through them (the arterio-venous or A-V O2 difference)

Each of these can improve with aerobic training and, therefore, create an increase in VO2max.

Having your VO2max tested can give you several important pieces of data to improve your training and performance. It is considered the gold standard of cardiovascular, pulmonary, and muscular cell fitness. It measures the maximum amount of oxygen your bodycan utilize. In addition to determining your VO2max, the test will also measure your aerobic and anaerobic thresholds, which I will discuss tomorrow. Using these three pieces of information can help you design a training plan for base building, as well as improving threshold and maximal performance. If you want more information about VO2max testing or want to schedule an appointment, please email me at info@annefinch.com. Special rates are available to TrySports triathlon team members, Low Country Cyclists Racing team members, Charleston Bicycle Company Racing team members, and Coastal Cyclists members.