WHAT IS VO2 MAX?
How the body uses oxygen is an indicator of cardiovascular fitness and a predictor of long life
WORDSAILSA HARVEY
If you’ve ever exercised to your limit, experiencing heavy breathing, a fast-beating heart and a depletion of energy, you’ve experienced your body’s VO2 max effort. Your VO2 max is the maximum volume of oxygen your body can use during exercise. When you exercise more intensely, your muscles use up more oxygen. This is inhaled into your lungs and absorbed into your bloodstream to be delivered to tissues around your body, including contracting muscles. Your fitness level, age, gender, body size and genetics all impact your VO2 max.
An individual’s VO2 max can either be recorded as an absolute or relative value. The absolute value is measured in litres per minute and represents the maximum amount of oxygen the body can use during exercise, regardless of size, while the relative value is measured in millilitres per kilogram. A higher VO2 max usually indicates better physical health and fitness, as this means the body is able to utilise more oxygen to produce the energy needed for all biological functions in the human body.