This article about VO2 max will be the first in a series as your favorite Kansas City Endurance Sports Examiner takes you on a ride through VO2 max testing and what is really means.
If you've been in any circle of Kansas City triathletes or runners, you have undoubtedly heard the term VO2 max, but what the heck does that really mean? Sure, most people know it's a measure of athletic prowess, but how can you find it out and make it useful for your training or race strategy?
Saint Luke's Health System of Kansas City has this to say about what VO2 max is, "VO2 Max is the maximum volume of oxygen that the body consumes during intense, whole-body exercise. It is a measure of the body's ability to do work aerobically and anaerobically." Without the capacity to intake enough oxygen to keep your body going and process that oxygen, you're only going to get so far at max effort for a race or training.
The name is derived from V - volume, O2 - oxygen, max - maximum. VO2 max is expressed either as an absolute rate in litres of oxygen per minute (l/min) or as a relative rate in millilitres of oxygen per kilogram of bodyweight per minute (ml/kg/min). The latter expression is often used to compare the performance of endurance sports athletes. - Wikipedia
Athletes do not NEED to know VO2 max to adequately train for endurance sports. Most athletes don't have the time or money to test to find out their score. If you have the time and means to find it out, then it can be a useful tool to identify a weak point to focus on or eliminate certain endurance training work you may not need.
Keep checking in for the next installment about measurement and testing for VO2 max.
If you would like to be notified when Ryan publishes an article, click "subscribe" below, follow his BLOG, follow him on TWITTER, find him on FACEBOOK or find him at Man Versus Triathlon.
Comments