Your VO2 max is an indicator of your potential for aerobic endurance during high-intensity exercise. It is also referred to as maximal oxygen uptake because it is a measurement of the maximum amount of oxygen that you can utilize during intense training. Your VO2 max is expressed as a number that reflects how many millimeters of oxygen you are using in one minute per kilogram of body weight and written as ml/kg/min.
Considerations
As the intensity of your exercise increases, your cells require more and more energy. The heart and lungs work in tandem to deliver oxygen-rich blood to your cells to help create the required energy. However, when the intensity of your exercise reaches a point at which your cells can't extract and utilize oxygen to create energy, your cells must be get energy from anaerobic sources.
Measuring VO2 Max
Measuring VO2 max is usually done in a laboratory setting under the supervision of exercise physiologists. The measurement is taken while you perform a treadmill stress test. A mask is placed over your nose and mouth to monitor the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Measuring your VO2 max in a laboratory setting can be costly, so taking a field test may be a more feasible option. The field tests are approximations of your VO2 max and don't actually measure your oxygen consumption. Field tests, such as the Cooper 12-minute run, and the Balke 15-minute run, are basically endurance test. For these tests, you are required to run or walk for a specific length of time at a steady pace. When you finish, the distance that you covered is placed in a basic formula. The results of the formula predicts your VO2 max. Other field tests include the multistage shuttle run and the Rockport test.
Influencing Factors
Men generally have a higher VO2 max than women of the same age. According to The Sports Fitness Advisor, non-athletic males between the ages of 40 and 49 have an average VO2 max of 36 to 44 ml/kg/min. Females in the same age group have an average VO2 max of between 26 to 35 ml/kg/min. The difference is due to physical size, as men generally have larger hearts and a larger lung capacity. As you age, your VO2 max tends to decrease with age. According to The American College of Sports Medicine, your VO2 max declines between 5 percent and 15 percent each decade after 25 to 30 years of age. The decline is due to reductions in your maximal heart rate as you age and reductions in your cardiac stroke volume.
Improving VO2 Max
Regular aerobic exercise can improve your VO2 max. Aerobic exercise increases the presence of energy producing structures within your cells called mitochondria. Also, aerobic exercise improves your oxygen transport system by increasing your lung capacity and cardiac stroke volume. According to an article by Rick Morris on the Running Planet website, the most effective means of increasing your VO2 max is to increase the volume and the intensity of your aerobic training. Morris recommends adding high-intensity intervals to your aerobic training.
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