What is VO2 Max and What It Is Not?

Like heart rate, there's no one "good" VO2 max. Your VO2 max will differ from someone else's based on age, gender, fitness level and outside factors like altitude. For example:

• The average sedentary (inactive) male

1. To measure VO2 max, you wear a mask and heart rate monitor hooked up to a treadmill or stationary bike.
2. The mask is connected to a machine that collects and measures the volume of oxygen you inhale, and the amount of air you exhale.
3. You'll slowly increase exercise intensity...

1. Once you reach that plateau, your body moves from aerobic metabolism to anaerobic metabolism — that is, ...

1. Until recently, the highest VO2 max ever measured was that of Bjørn Dæhlie, an Olympic skier who reportedly achieved a VO2 max of 96 ml/kg/min in the 1990s .
2. A young cyclist from N...

1. Increasing your body's capacity to utilize oxygen is one surefire way to get you closer to your endurance-related goals — a higher VO2 max essentially extends your breaking point.
2. High-intensity interval training is one of the

VO2 max is like a muscle of its own. If you run at the same easy pace for the same amount of time every day, you won't get faster or better at running. 

Instead, try adding intervals to your run. For example: 

• Run fast for one minute
• Jog slowly f...