Login | May 12, 2025
VO2 max and health
PETE GLADDEN
Pete’s World
Published: May 12, 2025
Normally when talk turns to the topic of VO2 max most of us immediately associate it with elite endurance athletes and their off-the-charts cardiorespiratory prowess.
And heck, up until a decade ago my one and only VO2 concern was in terms of sports performance.
But that mindset has changed because VO2 has begun to gain more and more prominence with respect to regular folks who reside far outside of the endurance sporting realm.
And according to a cadre of docs, physiologists and wellness experts, VO2 max is one of the most critical metrics to consider when assessing an individual’s physical health.
One such proponent of VO2 max as a metric of health is Dr. Peter Attia, a specialist in longevity.
And Attia believes that one’s VO2 max number is critical for determining length and quality of life.
According to Attia, “This number [VO2max] more than any other, precisely reflects your overall physical fitness.”
Thus, according to Attia’s research, a higher VO2 max directly correlates to a lower rate of mortality.
And his research is backed by a slew of studies that have come to the conclusion that people with higher VO2 max’s have significantly reduced risks of chronic diseases.
Okay, so what exactly is VO2 max?
In short, it’s the maximum amount of oxygen (measured in milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of bodyweight) that your body can use to create energy.
And this measurement is typically done in a lab setting on a treadmill or on a stationary bicycle where you’re hooked up to specialized equipment and where you can safely push yourself to a maximal cardiorespiratory effort to failure.
Such maximal physical efforts should only be done under the auspices of a qualified medical staff to insure that were there a problem medical support is immediately available.
So over my lifetime I’ve probably undergone around about 10 VO2 max tests, half when I was a competitive cyclist to assess my race fitness and the other half across the last 10 years for my cardiologist to assess the status of my coronary artery disease.
And let me tell you they’re very uncomfortable tests to push yourself through.
But, wow, what those numbers tell you about your state of fitness.
And what about those numbers?
Well, in the world of elite cycling, running and cross country skiing you’ll see athletes who can rack up VO2 max numbers that reach into the high 80s and low 90s - numbers I consider super human.
In comparison, when in the absolute best shape of my life I got my VO2 max up to 66.
Today, 30 years later that number has dropped down into the mid 40s.
Now if you know your VO2 max you can go to charts such as https://vo2maxchart.com/age#google_vignette to ascertain your general health status.
So at this point you may be wondering if there’s a way to “estimate” your VO2 max number without having to go to the expense of having it done in a lab setting - or without pushing yourself to a max effort without supervision and specialized equipment?
Well, there are several do-it-yourself non-max ways to guesstimate your VO2 max.
There’s the Cooper Running Test, the Rockport Walk Test, the BYU Jog Test and the Queen’s College Step Test to name but a few.
You could also use a fitness tracker/smart watch to give you an estimated VO2 max based on the analysis of your physical activity data.
And then there are a few formulas available whereby you needn’t do anything physical.
You simply plug numbers into an equation and you get a guesstimate of your VO2 max.
Now I used one just recently to see how it would match up with the VO2 max lab test I’d done in February 2025 and I’ll be darned if the number it yielded wasn’t amazingly close the number from my lab test.
So the formula I used goes like this. Find your max HR (multiply your age x 0.7) and subtract that from 208. Then find your resting HR (pulse rate as you’re comfortably seated for 20 seconds x 3). Divide the max HR by the resting HR and multiply that number by 15.3. This is your theoretical VO2 max.
Next week I’ll continue this VO2 max conversation by talking about how one, specifically non-athletic folks, can safely work towards improving that VO2 max number.