Know Your VO2 Max

Training for endurance sports, like the 2015 Yuengling Shamrock Marathon, 1/2 Marathon, 8k, is a marathon, not a sprint. Like any long-term pursuit, it can be easy to lose sight of your end goals during long training sessions and setbacks. However, you can set yourself up for success by taking a serious approach to your training and knowing your VO2 Max.

VO2 Max, short for maximal oxygen uptake, is the measure of your ability to utilize oxygen while exercising.  VO2 max is typically expressed as liters of oxygen per minute and is also known as aerobic capcity. It allows you to know your capacity to create the energy required for endurance exercises.  It is an important factor in determining if you can exercise vigorously for longer than four or five minutes.

Your VO2 max capacity is measured  through a 30 minute assessment, during which you undergo increasingly difficult exercise while we measure your oxygen use. Ideally, you are attached to the oxygen measuring device while exercising on a machine that matches your sport. For instance, a runner would be on a treadmill and a rower on a rowing machine.

To a degree, you can train yourself to increase your VO2 max capacity can be trained. You can take more than a minute off of your 5k time by increasing your VO2 max by 10 percent, even without changing other factors. While your sedentary VO2 max values are determined by genetics, you can make drastic improvements in your exercise VO2 max through training.

Getting an accurate measure of your VO2 max requires some specialized equipment.