V02Max

Newbie

How do I measure this? I plan to improve it, so how can I accurately progress my V02Max and, mor eimportanyl, how do I know when I'm at or around it?

Gone Fishin

26-yrs of running and I got no idea.
I'm a caveman runner.

To me vo2max is kinda like your cholesterol level. You can have high or low cholesterol and really, there's no way of using that number to predict when/where you'll have a heart attack. Sure, low cholesterol is great and high cholesterol is dangerous. But by the same measure vo2max that is high is great and lower is something to improve, but in the grand scheme of road racing, your time on the finish-line clock is the only number that matters. Just my caveman 2-cents, but improving your vo2max is a bit of futile goal-setting, when the real test to your running fitness is how well you race.

Member

There are many tests you could probably do yourself to get a VO2 reading.

The Astrand Step Test which stepping on and off a 16.5inch step or box set to a metronome. Then you have to ask yourself has this much relation to running.

The Multi Stage Test also known as the Beep or Shuttle Run Test. Involves running 20m shuttles from almost walking pace increasing every minute till exhaustion. We use this for entry into the Fire Service. A requirement of 9.7 giving a predicted max. of 45.7.
Again are you racing up and down over 20m.

I think Kenneth Cooper has a 12min. Test using a 400m. track and a stop watch and the one I think most running coaches use, if any still use it is the Balke 15min. Test again using a 400m. track and a stop watch.

Again I'm with jrjo on this one, it's a nice to know, but a not need to know.
Comparing say, jrjo's and my VO2 score to yours does not necessarily dictate the order in which we were to finish should we ever have a race. Yes, by improving your VO2 you will race faster (regular 800m. races or time trials are great for this) but VO2 figures rarely match up.
Keep it simple, train hard train easy as jrjo said the real test to running fitness is how well you race.

Member

I found this article about Max VO2 a little bit ago:

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Fitness-Cardio-Secret-That-Propels-Lance-Armstrong&id=53623

Read that and you'll figure out how you can test it without having to go to a medical center and get fancy tests done.

Like the others said though it's not so much know exactly where your VO2 is as it is working on getting it higher by doing speed work. The best measure of progress is race times improving.

Good Luck,
John

Newbie

Here is a short article on what VO2 max is and how you can improve it.

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-267--1047-0,00.html

V02Max

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