VO2 Max

VO2 max, also known as maximal oxygen uptake, is the maximum amount of oxygen a person can use during intense exercise. It is measured in milliliters of oxygen consumed per minute per kilogram of body weight (ml/kg/min). VO2 max is considered a key indicator of cardiovascular fitness and aerobic endurance. It is also has a significant relationship with longevity.

Functional Independence:

After 30 years of age, VO2 max progressively decreases with age at a rate of about 10% per decade for males and 7% per decade for females. Therefore, two things are clearly very important: Your calculated VO2 max and your rate of decline.

The higher your VO2 Max, the more you can continue to do with age. For example, a VO2 max of 50ml/kg/min suggests you will be able to jog up a steep hill. In contrast, a VO2 max of 20ml/kg/min suggests your physical maximum would be walking up a steep incline.

Reduced Mortality Risk:

Research consistently shows that individuals with higher VO2 max levels have a lower risk of all-cause mortality. Importantly, raising VO2 max by just 1ml/kg/min can reduce risk of all cause mortality by 9%.

Moreover, a low VO2 max is a stronger predictor of overall mortality risk (over a 10 year time horizon) than other well established risk factors, which are shown below:

- Smoking: 41% increase in mortality

- Coronary artery disease: 29% increase in mortality

- Diabetes: 40% increase in mortality

- Hypertension: 21% increase in mortality

- End-stage renal disease: 180% increase in mortality

In comparison, someone in the bottom 25% for VO2 max vs. someone in the top 10% would have a 400% increase in mortality risk over a decade, a 10X increase in risk compared to smoking.

While VO2 max declines predictably with age, it can be improved at any age through targeted exercise regimes. Moreover, moving from the 25th percentile to the 50th percentile reduces your mortality risk by 50%.

Your VO2 max percentile may differ from other calculators and reports. Many of the existing reference ranges for VO2 max use a sample of estimated VO2 max vs measured VO2 max to derive the population percentiles. At NiaHealth we use the largest dataset of measured VO2 max which are validated by the latest guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine to interpret your results as these values should provide for a more accurate interpretation of measured VO2 max.

- Very Low: Bottom 25% of individuals of your age and sex.

- Below Average: Below 50% of individuals your age and sex.

- Above Average: Above 75% of individuals your age and sex.

- Good: Above 50% of individuals your age and sex.

- Optimal: An optimal VO2 max is associated with the best health outcomes as you age. Optimal VO2 max means that your oxygen consumption is in the top 10% of people of your same age and sex.