If you want to take a closer look at the stats of the best smartwatches, there’s a good chance you’ve come across something called VO2 Max. Each smartwatch may have a different name. It’s known as “Cardio Fitness” on Apple Watch, but it’s called “Cardio Fitness Score” on Fitbits.
VO2 Max is a fitness metric that’s been around for a while, but if you’re wondering what it actually is, what it shows you, and whether you should care about it, here it is. solve the problem. here. Here’s an overview of the important fitness metrics and why you might want to pay more attention to them.
What does VO2 Max stand for?
First, let’s take a closer look at what VO2 Max actually stands for. It is defined as the maximum (Max) velocity (V) of oxygen (O2) absorbed by the body during exercise.
What does VO2 Max actually mean?
Most simply, it’s about breathing and what happens during the breathing process during exercise.
When you breathe in, you take in oxygen. That oxygen is used to create energy for your body and organs to function properly.
One of the forms of energy produced is called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is used as fuel for muscles and allows the body to better cope with the demands of exercise.
During exercise, the body requires more oxygen to convert into ATP stores. The more oxygen the body can take in and convert into its energy form, the less fatigue it develops.
Insights like VO2 Max tell you the maximum rate of oxygen you can absorb, giving you a good indication of the ATP energy levels your body can generate to sustain power during a workout.
Why is knowing your VO2 Max helpful?
VO2 Max is a useful statistic because it provides an indicator of cardiovascular health and aerobic endurance. The former relates to how well your heart and lungs can deliver oxygen during exercise, and the latter relates to your ability to cope with moderate-intensity and prolonged exercise.
It tells you your ability to tackle tough training schedules, events, and races. Therefore, an athlete needs a high VO2 Max to be considered fit enough to meet the pressure demands placed on the body by the more intense exercise associated with endurance sports such as marathons, ultramarathons, and triathlons. try to achieve. .
Fitness isn’t the only issue here either. Maintaining a good VO2 Max increases your resistance to stress, helps you fight the effects of aging, and reduces your chances of getting sick.
How does a smartwatch measure VO2 Max?
VO2 Max usually measures the amount of oxygen consumed per kilogram of body weight per minute in millimeters and is usually expressed as a single two-digit number. There is some variation in how smartwatches display his VO2 Max, but a high VO2 Max score usually indicates a person has a good level of cardiovascular fitness.
The most accurate way to measure your VO2 Max is through a lab test where you hop on a bike or treadmill, wear a mask, exercise until exhaustion, and measure the air you consume and exhale. Since most watches cannot replicate the same rigorous lab testing process, the watch actually provides an estimate of its VO2 Max.
So how accurate are those estimates? Firstbeat Analytics calculates data for VO2 Max estimates for Garmin watches. Claims 95% accuracy.
Apple uses data from your heart rate and motion sensors to estimate your VO2 Max estimate (also known as cardiorespiratory fitness) while you run, walk, or hike outdoors. It also takes into account factors such as age, gender, weight, and height to calculate a reliable VO2 Max score for him ranging from 14 to 65 mL/kg/min.
If you have a Garmin watch, Garmin generates a VO2 Max estimate based on your heart rate from your watch or an external heart rate monitor. It is also produced from exercise that lasts more than 10 minutes. Look at activities recorded outdoors using GPS and when your heart rate increases to more than 70% of your maximum heart rate for 10 consecutive minutes.
Garmin’s VO2 Max scores range from 0 to 95. The highest his VO2 Max ever recorded was Olympic skier Bjorn Dalley’s 96. A good estimate of his VO2 Max will vary based on age, height, and weight, but generally speaking, the higher the better. Garmin has a handy table explaining what constitutes a “good” VO2 Max for your demographic.
The way these estimates are calculated can vary by exercise, and Garmin and others aim to better account for how different activities and training conditions affect VO2 Max measurements. Masu.
Google and Fitbit’s unique VO2 Max score, known as Cardio Fitness Score, takes into account your resting heart rate, age, gender, and weight, and provides a more accurate score when you track your workouts using GPS will be done.
Fitbit categorizes your score into one of six levels. A cardio fitness score of 55 is considered a good score and ranks in the top six levels. A score of 35, on the other hand, is considered average and falls into level 3 of that scale.
Where can I check my VO2 Max on my smartwatch?
Again, this completely depends on the smartwatch you are using to view your VO2 Max stats. So for the Apple Watch, Apple doesn’t display this information natively on the Watch, but instead hides it within the Apple Health iPhone app. However, if you want to see the data, there are third-party Apple Watch apps that can display that data on your Apple Watch.
While devices like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 let you see your measurements on the watch in the Health section of the app after you’ve completed a workout, Fitbit allows you to view your measurements on your watch by clicking the heart tile in its Today section. Host that information within your app. An app to check your cardio fitness score in detail.
If you are a Garmin user, you can view current and historical VO2 Max data in the Performance Statistics section of the Garmin Connect app. You can also view it from the training status widget on your watch.
Why do VO2 Max scores vary between smartwatches?
While the core approach of smartwatches calculating VO2 Max estimates is largely the same, the heart rate sensor (sensor accuracy) and the algorithms that help capture that data can vary. These can be a big contributing factor to why you’re seeing different numbers on different watches.
There’s also the issue of how much past workout data your smartwatch has access to, which can also affect the reliability of your VO2 Max numbers.
How can I improve my VO2 Max?
That’s the big question, and there are some simple answers. The easiest way is to increase the amount of exercise you do on a regular basis, paying close attention to the intensity of your exercise time.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) rapidly increases your heart rate, followed by a period of rest and recovery, allowing your body to adjust to the increased demand for oxygen. This strengthens your muscles and allows your body to adapt to more intense exercise.was there Research conducted We’re investigating how this type of training can increase your VO2 Max estimate.
Even low-intensity training is effective, so you can also combine activities like running, cycling, and hiking to improve your VO2 Max. This is why a runner who trains for a marathon and continues with regular runs and long runs can see an increase in his VO2 Max, increasing his ability to withstand more demanding workouts.
Recovery time between workouts is just as important as doing the workouts, as your body needs time to adapt to the increased demands of more intense exercise.
