What's your VO2Max?

[movdqa]

My Garmin says that mine is 40 so I'd be in the excellent category for my age. I realize that their are issues with wrist-based measurements of course.

It looks like it would take a fair amount of work to get into the Superior category. Looking at the numbers by age range, it appears that the numbers go down quite a bit because people don't workout as much when they get older moreso than that it's great performance. That is I'm in the excellent category because more people my age are in worse shape rather than me being in better shape.

 

[Sentinel]

Iirc, Said Aouita had 93 or so.

 

[movdqa]

Highest was 96 by a skier. It would make sense that professionals in aerobic sports would be at the top.

 

[RogueFLIP]

Back in the late 1990's I remember getting the test (cycling) done in my Exercise Physiology class. Being in my early 20's and in much better shape than I am today, I thought no problem. I'm not going to look for the paper results, but I remember that I did quite poorly for my age.

Test was no joke.

But I never had any issues with the sports I was doing, so I really didn't do much work to try to improve it.

 

[movdqa]

Back in the late 1990's I remember getting the test (cycling) done in my Exercise Physiology class. Being in my early 20's and in much better shape than I am today, I thought no problem. I'm not going to look for the paper results, but I remember that I did quite poorly for my age.

Test was no joke.

But I never had any issues with the sports I was doing, so I really didn't do much work to try to improve it.

My guess is that if you do any kind of regular activity at older ages, you score quite well, because activity declines so fast with age.

 

[RogueFLIP]

Your thread just triggered the memories of that test day. Just how uncomfortable it was.....the mask around your face felt blah, breathing through it felt so unnatural esp at the higher resistance levels.......the bicycle seat was so uncomfortable, plus I wasn't the first subject so other peoples' sweaty butts on it..........my quads were on FIRE......I remember walking to the bathroom afterwards because I was dripping with sweat how much they turned to jelly......I had a change of shirt in my locker, but I wish I had a full change of clothes.....still had to sit in my sweaty clothes the rest of the day in class.....man I must've been ripe to everyone else.....

Just uncomfortable....

You should do the real test! Great experience! Let us know how accurate your Garmin is!

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Does your VO2Max vary from day to day...depending on congestion or other factors?

 

[movdqa]

Does your VO2Max vary from day to day...depending on congestion or other factors?

The wrist based version may vary week to week. Seemsfairly steady day to day.

 

[Znak]

Interesting thread, came across this

https://www.runnersworld.com/gear/a20856601/can-your-watch-estimate-your-vo2-max/

 

[movdqa]

Interesting thread, came across this

https://www.runnersworld.com/gear/a20856601/can-your-watch-estimate-your-vo2-max/

Cool article. I hope that they continue doing studies, especially as technology continues to improve regularly. The article was from 2017 and we should have a new generation of WHRM technology to test.

 

[movdqa]

In looking at the tables, it strikes me that the numbers for men fall off after 50 and for women, 40. So it appears that heart health is in good shape naturally until these ages and then you have to exercise if you want to maintain cardiovascular health or it drops off sharply and then declines gradually. The dropoff difference in ages between men and women is quite striking. What's also amazing is how it isn't that hard to maintain cardiovascular health into old age - you just have to start at a reasonable age as accumulating injuries and disease may make it very difficult to try to restore your body.

On the accuracy article - I can certainly live with a 5% variance. I increased my VO2Max about 30% from a year ago so I can just follow the delta when working on improvement or just do a mental score adjustment from the watch score.

 

[RogueFLIP]

Good article and also glad to hear that the variances btwn the devices and the gold standard aren't as high as I thought they'd be.

But I still think you should do the gold standard test just so you can suffer....

 

[movdqa]

Good article and also glad to hear that the variances btwn the devices and the gold standard aren't as high as I thought they'd be.

But I still think you should do the gold standard test just so you can suffer....

I'd guess that Garmin and Polar regularly test their devices against the gold standard and make revisions to their software as the hardware improves accuracy.

I haven't exercised flat out since 2017 and I don't know that it would be a good idea now that I'm in my 60s. I'm generally working on gradually increasing distance and speed to improve conditioning without suffering from joint problems.

 

[movdqa]

I read a few articles and one paper on VO2Max and mortality. One study group, average age 61 with VO2Max 18 or lower had a mortality rate of 55% within two years (!) The risk in the above 18 group had a mortality rate of about 11%. So 18 is a threshold. An untrained 25-year-old male has a VO2Max of about 45. I'd imagine that anyone that can run around a tennis court reasonably well isn't anywhere the 18 threshold.

Once you get over 60, you see all of the potential things that can kill you. I do think that medical technology can save people that have weak cardiovascular systems but some of that depends on getting to a doctor or emergency room in time.

 

[Pete Player]

I’m at 45, 52 years of age. Basically no excercise, but keep moving. Drink about 50 doses a week and not particularly on a healthy diet.

Rest heartbeat around 50 minimum at low 40’s, high 30’s, and maxing out at about 171. Not sure, cause I peaked at 171 on a 7 k jogging session.

Have had EKG abnormal, sinus bradycardia all my life. My friends claim, I’m not normal. As they stay in bed after watching football live at Camp Nou in the morning and I open a wine after returning from the match. The only one out at 8:10 tee time is me...

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No more on -sorry, again on pain meds - all contributed matter and anti-matter are subject to disclaimer

 

[Pete Player]

I'd guess that Garmin and Polar regularly test their devices against the gold standard and make revisions to their software as the hardware improves accuracy.

I haven't exercised flat out since 2017 and I don't know that it would be a good idea now that I'm in my 60s. I'm generally working on gradually increasing distance and speed to improve conditioning without suffering from joint problems.

The stats with Garmin come from Firstbeat, an university based research center.


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No more on -sorry, again on pain meds - all contributed matter and anti-matter are subject to disclaimer

 

[Bagel Boy]

Highest was 96 by a skier. It would make sense that professionals in aerobic sports would be at the top.

I thought it was a cyclist with the highest. Quit the sport all together, eventually, iirc.

(And the skier record was questioned for a long time.)

 

[Pete Player]

Top Finn x-country skier Jauhojärvi used to have 33 as his rest heart beat. Now after retired from the world cup he is around 40.

Yet other body parts may detoriorate, I think we, low rest heart rate people may have ’too many’ years ahead of us.

My brother run a marathon in 2:59 and run a threadmill test prior to Berlin with all the gear on him. He got 61, while the watch (Garmin) showed numbers at high 50’s.


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No more on -sorry, again on pain meds - all contributed matter and anti-matter are subject to disclaimer

 

[Pete Player]

Since the number is a division by body weight, it will increase, if your weight goes down. Obviously the total ability to use oxygen doesn’t change without excercise.

Mostly tennis players, even rec players are quite fit and lean. My score varies on the weight by one mmol/min/kg week to week depending on hydration and weight variation. That can be up to three kilos.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[blablavla]

My Garmin says that mine is 40 so I'd be in the excellent category for my age. I realize that their are issues with wrist-based measurements of course.

It looks like it would take a fair amount of work to get into the Superior category. Looking at the numbers by age range, it appears that the numbers go down quite a bit because people don't workout as much when they get older moreso than that it's great performance. That is I'm in the excellent category because more people my age are in worse shape rather than me being in better shape.

mine is estimated at 55

 

[Fintft]

Should it be measured during intensive exercise?