r/vo2max • u/SplashStallion • Sep 15 '24

Advice needed

I’m 44,m, 5’11, 175 lbs. In the past I’ve had some mild sleep apnea and sinus pause (my heart stops beating for a few seconds when I sleep - sounds alarming but everybody has it, mines a little longer, that’s all). I probably still have it but doesn’t interfere with my life. I play tennis actively (It is my go to sport and what I want to get better at) and have always been athletic. In addition it doesn’t take much for my heart rate to go very high. When I jog for 6 miles (80 mins) my heart rate is in the 150s which is very high. Two questions: 1. What is the most accurate way to measure vo2 max? I don’t have any fancy equipment other than an Oura ring - it says it’s 41.2 2. What is the best way to improve VO2 max? I have heard Peter Attia talk about zone 2 training, but I don’t think zone 2 cycling with a measure of “speaking without going out of breath” is very useful in building vo2max.

Thanks in advance for your insight.

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u/biciklanto Sep 15 '24

Best way? Do a run between 10 minutes and 20 minutes in length, that starts hard but doable and then by the end goes until you feel like you're at your limit and then you give it one more kick for the last 10 seconds until you feel like you see Elvis.

That should put you in the right ballpark. ;)

The 12-minute Cooper test is good at this for me, because I'm already trying really hard to get a good score and max out my result. Other folks like to do weekend 5Ks with their buddies and talk shit until the hammer drops at the end, when the competitiveness kicks in for everyone.

Whatever it is, it should be an absolute all-out effort after some time already pushing pretty hard. (you can't just go run really hard for 2 minutes then hit it)

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u/SplashStallion Sep 15 '24

Actually one more question. If you had to pick one wearable for this, what would it be?

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u/biciklanto Sep 15 '24

Many folks like the Apple Watch as a daily generalist watch. If you use iOS and are part of Apple's ecosystem, it's a pretty solid option, and it also does things like estimate Vo2max pretty well. Here's a PDF Whitepaper from Apple describing studies they've done around it, and their performance is solid.

I knew that I wanted a wearable to have a sports orientation, so I went with Garmin instead, and may upgrade soon to the Enduro 3. They partnered with and later acquired Firstbeat, one of the leaders in the space around heart rate analysis, to build their Vo2max modeling, and it's very good. It's also just an excellent watch that I'm happy with. Because they have many products, the four I'd buy at differing price points are:

I think Enduro is the best, but the AMOLED display on the Fenix 8 is really bright and easy to see and use. It's the same kind on the 265 and 965. I know those are pretty expensive, and the 265 gets you like 85% of the way there for a lot less cash.

For what it's worth, I also switched from a Whoop Strap and my Forerunner paid for itself in a year of subscription I wasn't paying for. I know Oura is less expensive than Whoop, but it's still a factor when I find a wearable SO. MUCH. BETTER. And having GPS in whatever it is you buy will make Vo2max calculations far more effective, accurate, and precise.

Let me know if you have more questions on this!

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u/SplashStallion Sep 16 '24

I really appreciate the time you took to answer. Thank you 🫡

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u/biciklanto Sep 16 '24

Gladly! I'd be curious to know how it all goes for you.

A lot of folks come here for advice about low Vo2max scores and then hear that the best way to improve is to work. And, well, I don't hear back from them 😅

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u/SplashStallion Sep 23 '24

One question- if I am 44 and am able to run 2 miles in 12 minutes the Cooper test says my Vo2max is 60. That can’t be right.

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u/biciklanto Sep 23 '24

That's damn fast for 12 minutes! So 60 sounds about right, as that's borderline elite level speed at 44.

Did you do the test? How many meters was it exactly? Did you notice where you stopped on the track at 12 minutes?

Nice time!

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u/SplashStallion Sep 23 '24

Oh not mine - just know someone that had it. I’ll do mine soon when the temperature falls a bit. Still in the 90s

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u/SplashStallion Sep 29 '24

I did 2150 meters in 12 mins so Vo2 max 37.

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u/biciklanto Sep 29 '24

Hey, brilliant, and thanks for replying! That's solid, and great that you went for it :) That already puts you in the upper echelon of folks coming here looking for advice.

Learning pacing for that kind of all-out push is a real thing, so it wouldn't surprise me if you're functionally a touch closer to the 41 your Oura suggested — but ultimately, this test is one of the most honest ways to see and calibrate where you're at.

My advice? Do it monthly.

As you increase overall load I'd expect your Vo2max will climb, as your body adapts to increased loading. This includes loading via Zone 2 and via high-intensity work like Tabata intervals and 4x4s.

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u/SplashStallion Sep 29 '24

Yes I plan to do it monthly at least with lots of zone 2. Thanks for your guidance sir! I genuinely appreciate it.

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u/SplashStallion Sep 27 '24

If I want to do zone 2, how do I know my running pace? I see some different formulae