VO2 Max Number? (Read 636 times)

In the training log section, what is the VO2 max number all about? Am I looking for a low number, a high number, an increasing pattern, a decreasing pattern, just what should I expect? Or do I really need to know this?

VO2 max is the maximum capacity to transport and utilize oxygen during exercise. Higher is better -- elite athletes have numbers typically >70. The only time it's meaningful to look at is from an all-out effort or race, so it's actually a little superfluous to have it calculated for each run (i.e. you only have one VO2max, and you need to use an all-out effort to estimate it). Use this calculator to estimate your VO2max from a recent race. As you run more races, you can see if your VO2max is improving. In your log, the only way to look for a pattern is to look at races or other all-out efforts. Hopefully, it's going up. But like Scout said, it's nothing to get too worked up over. More info in this thread.