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Maximum increase of VO2max? (Read 673 times)

Proudfoot


    I've read plenty on what is VO2max, how to estimate your VO2max, etc. But I haven't seen much on how much improvement to their VO2max a person is capable of.

     

    I understand some people are naturally gifted with high levels, and others are not... But is there any research or guidelines as to how much a person could be able to improve theirs by?

    TJoseph


      I believe if you use EPO you can boost it quite a bit.  Ask Lance...

       

      MTA:  According to Wikipedia if you want to improve it with training alone:

      The average untrained healthy male will have a VO2 max of approximately 35-40 ml/kg/min. The average untrained healthy female will score a VO2 max of approximately 27-31 ml/kg/min. These scores can improve with training and decrease with age, though the degree of trainability also varies very widely: conditioning may double VO2max in some individuals, and will marginally improve it in others.

        Without directly answering your question here are a few observations.

         

        It's hard to say what the maximum possible improvement for a given individual is. You get into diminishing returns - if you're untrained then there's scope for big improvements. If you're highly trained then it's unlikely that you'll see big changes - although altitude training can make a difference (a legal way of getting the increase in red blood cells that EPO can also afford). Changes in response to training  vary widely.

         

        The highest recorded figures are in the mid-90s, but there are elite athletes who compete well and have figures only in the 70s, so it's not the only thing to worry about.

         

        It tends to decrease with age past about 35.

         

        Note that the units are l/min/kg - that is it depends on your weight. Many people are heavier than the need to be and can improve VO2 max simply by losing weight.

         

        Note that estimating your VO2 max from a performance is pretty unreliable. If you need to know what it is then you have to get it measured.

          If you want to improve your VO2max, lose a bunch of weight.

           

          But if you want to run faster, then forget about VO2max and just train.

          Runners run

          joescott


            Jack Daniels says in Running Formula that a person can improve his VO2-max by about 20% through training, although certainly there is a TON of individual variability.  Mikey is spot on that if you are carrying extra weight that losing it is a sure-fire way to increase it.  I would add, "for free" (without changes in training).  If you are already highly trained then it gets harder and harder to move the needle, but if you start out of shape you can improve it dramatically.

            - Joe

            We are fragile creatures on collision with our judgment day.

            kcam


              If you want to improve your VO2max, lose a bunch of weight.

               

              But if you want to run faster, then forget about VO2max and just train.

               

              ... and lose a bunch of weight.

                 

                ... and lose a bunch of weight.

                 

                IF you have a bunch to lose.

                Runners run

                kcam


                   

                  IF you have a bunch to lose.

                   

                  Correct you are ... if you have a bunch to lose.  Galen Rupp and Mo Farah don't so that advice doesn't apply to them.  It applies to most everyone else on this forum, though, if running fast is their #1 priority.  If being healthy, fit , having fun and not looking like an anorexic skeleton are among their top priorities then not so much.

                     

                    IF you have a bunch to lose.

                     

                    Yeah - although the trade off can be pretty strange. This is illustrated by VO2 max figures for people in endurance sports where weight is not really a hindrance. The classic example is rowing - you can put on a bunch of muscle and it helps, you lose the muscle and you get slower. But world class rowers tend not to have terribly high VO2 max compared with e.g. runners even tho' their absolute oxygen consumption is a lot higher than runners (not surprising - they have more muscles to use the oxygen).

                    Proudfoot


                      Thanks for all of the insight!

                      DoppleBock


                        Are you looking at Daniels VDot?

                         

                        Vo2 max is the MMol of oxygen that you can process per KG of weight ?

                         

                        You can have 2 runners running the exact same race times with one having a Vo2max of 70 and another 65.  They could have different efficiency of strides or different levels of training.

                         

                        Most people who are asking the question are asking because they see a race time translating into a Vdot score and want to know how much they can improve or how to improve it.

                         

                        If I scored a 58 Vdot weighing 95 KG - I guess the math works out to 5,510 MMol of O2 per KG of Body weight.  I really could have a Vo2 Max much higher and just really poor efficiency or lack of training.

                         

                        So MikeyMike saying - Training is one key.  Build you aerobic systems the muscle mitochondria etc.

                         

                        If you are carrying excess weight - like me, you could lose weight.  If the example above I lose 15kg and weigh 80kg.  In theory I would have a Vdot score of @ 69.  I would never race that fast because I have an inefficient stride, but I would likely move to 63-64.

                         

                        Efficiency of stride - It is the bodies transmission to take power generated and turn it into speed or race perfromance.  So to increase your Vdot race performance - Work on improving your stride efficiency ~ Drills

                         

                        Finally you can tweak the volume of oxygen you can process at the end of a training cycle with sharpening including vo2max specific workouts.  You can get 3-5% (Ihave read) during your 4-6 week sharpening.  The amount that this translates into performance will be based on your stride efficiency.

                         

                        So to me the keys would be:  Training, proper weight and stride efficiency

                        Long dead ... But my stench lingers !

                         

                         

                        Wing


                        Joggaholic

                           

                          Efficiency of stride - It is the bodies transmission to take power generated and turn it into speed or race perfromance.  So to increase your Vdot race performance - Work on improving your stride efficiency ~ Drills

                           

                           

                          So how does one figure out if he/she has poor stride efficiency in the first place, aside from having a running coach watching and giving feedback? Is there any way to "self-diagnose"?


                          Feeling the growl again

                             

                            So how does one figure out if he/she has poor stride efficiency in the first place, aside from having a running coach watching and giving feedback? Is there any way to "self-diagnose"?

                             

                            Run a 100 mile week and see how your body changes your stride to cope with the stress.  Your body is not stupid and it WILL figure a way to be more efficient if you stress it far enough.

                             

                            When I did this....straight from ~60mpw on average, high every of 80, to a few 100s....my stride immediately shortened and has stayed that way ever since.  No conscious effort on my part.

                             

                            MTA:  +1 on DB's post.  Get to your ideal training weight, do a solid amount of high-end aerobic training (tempos and intervals with short recovery at 5K-10K pace).  Run enough volume and the stride will take care of itself.  I've never been convinced that intentionally screwing with stride works for most people.   But stress your body in the right ways and it will respond as needed...and remember.

                            "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

                             

                            I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

                             

                              When I did this....straight from ~60mpw on average, high every of 80, to a few 100s....my stride immediately shortened and has stayed that way ever since.  No conscious effort on my part.

                               

                              You may have stopped overstriding, but I doubt your stride (the distance your center of mass travels between foot strikes) actually shortened as a result of good training. Most likely it lengthened.

                              Runners run


                              Feeling the growl again

                                 

                                You may have stopped overstriding, but I doubt your stride (the distance your center of mass travels between foot strikes) actually shortened as a result of good training. Most likely it lengthened.

                                 

                                Actually it did.  My turnover increased at the same pace, therefore my stride shortened.

                                "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

                                 

                                I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

                                 

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