To improve your cardiovascular fitness and endurance, focus on increasing your VO2 max. It represents the maximum oxygen uptake during intense exercise and is a trainable metric that responds to your workout protocol.
When your VO2 max ceiling gets higher, you’ll see improvements in your athletic performance, daily energy, and health span. Whether you’re a complete beginner or an elite athlete, you can leverage training strategies to improve your VO2 max at any age.
Learn which protocols you can use to systematically increase your aerobic capacity, how to measure your VO2 max, and the best equipment to help you make progress.
What VO2 Max Measures and Why It Matters
VO2 max measures the milliliters of oxygen that your body takes in and uses per kilogram per minute (ml/kg/min). Why does knowing your use of oxygen matter? It reflects how efficiently your lungs, heart, blood vessels, and muscles are using oxygen, and the more efficient your body is, the more oxygen it gets.
The average untrained adult male’s VO2 max is around 35-40ml/kg/min, while an untrained adult female's is around 27-31 ml/kg/min. VO2 max can be significantly higher for elite endurance athletes, whose bodies have become efficient at using oxygen, typically ranging from 70 to 85+ ml/kg/min.
Your VO2 max declines as you get older, around 10% each decade after you reach 30, if you don’t do anything to mitigate this natural decline. If you can improve it, it’s a good sign for your longevity. VO2 max can be a stronger predictor of mortality than traditional risk factors, such as blood pressure, with a low VO2 max correlating with an increased risk of all-cause mortality.
The good news is that everyone is trainable. Trainability varies by genetics, but everyone can improve their baseline.
How VO2 Max Supports Health, Fitness, and Longevity
A strong VO2 max creates benefits for your performance, health, and longevity. It enhances your endurance across all aerobic activities, such as running, swimming, cycling, or HIIT, while improving your body's ability to recover quickly between these high-intensity efforts. It can increase the lactate threshold, allowing you to sustain higher-intensity movement without experiencing muscle pain and fatigue.
It’s also great for long-term health. A high VO2 ceiling reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease by 10-15% per metabolic equivalent increase, supports healthy blood pressure and cholesterol profiles, and improves insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism. Your brain benefits, too. Higher VO2 max is correlated with maintained cognitive function in aging populations. In practice, this means it will support your independence and maintain a good quality of life in your older years.
If you’re trying to lose weight or manage a healthy weight, there are benefits there, too. A good VO2 ceiling allows you to expend more calories with exercise, making every workout more effective.
Even your daily activities benefit. When your body uses oxygen efficiently, you’ll have a greater cardiovascular reserve that you can tap into for daily activities and stress response.
How VO2 Max Is Measured: Lab Testing, Field Tests, and Wearables
There are several methods for measuring VO2 max, including wearable technology, laboratory testing, and field fitness tests. Lab tests are the gold standard for accuracy, while field tests help track trends, and wearable tech can provide solid estimates for the average person.
Lab Testing
Lab VO2 max tests use a graded exercise test with a metabolic cart and a facemask to measure the actual oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production during exercise. It’s usually performed with the subject on a treadmill or stationary indoor bike. The intensity of the movement will be increased until failure or perceived total exhaustion is reached.
This test provides precise data on the ml/kg/min measurements, but it can be expensive and typically requires specialized equipment and trained technicians at a sports performance facility. It’s the most accurate, but least accessible, so it’s not how most people track their VO2 max.
Field Testing
Several field tests can be used to predict VO2 max, including the Cooper 12-minute run test, 1.5-mile run test, and the Beep test.
The Cooper 12-minute run test uses the distance covered to predict VO2 max. The formula to determine general VO2 max is the distance in meters -504.9 divided by 44.73.
So, if you ran 2,400 meters in the test, your VO2 max would be 42.3 ml/kg/min.
Another option is the 1.5-mile run test that simplifies the strategy by using your completion time to estimate your VO2 max. Then there’s the Beep test, a multi-stage fitness test that correlates with VO2 max.
Field tests are useful because they’re accessible and free to use. Still, they require maximum effort for accuracy, and environmental factors such as heat, wind, and terrain can impact the results.
Wearable Tech Estimates
Wearable tech is becoming one of the most popular ways to estimate VO2 max today. Brands like Whoop, Garmin, and Apple are all releasing technology that can measure heart rate, pace, and other user metrics to provide a general estimate. The accuracy of these is within approximately 5-10% of lab testing results when properly calibrated, so while not perfect, they provide a valid baseline for creating training protocols.
The most significant benefit here is the convenience and improved accuracy over time as more training data is collected. Watch-based estimates are the most accurate during outdoor running activities.
Training Strategies That Improve VO2 Max
If a higher VO2 max ceiling is your goal, you can incorporate training protocols such as HIIT, threshold training, progressive overload, and long steady-state cardio to see results.
HIIT
This is the most effective option when you work in intervals at 90-100% of your max heart rate. High-intensity interval training, such as workout classes or Hyrox competitions, stimulates your maximum cardiac output and oxygen uptake, and prevents excessive adaptation by repeating high-intensity bouts of work. Short recovery periods enable your body to partially recover before the next interval.
You can typically see 5-15% improvements within 8-12 weeks of regular HIIT training 2-3 times per week.
Threshold Training
Threshold training is similar, but requires sustained (not short) efforts at 85-90% max heart rate. This simultaneously supports VO2 max improvements and builds a solid foundation for your aerobic capacity.
If you’re interested in this method, try a tempo run of 20-40 minutes once or twice weekly.
Progressive Overload
Progressive overload involves gradually increasing the duration, intensity, or volume of your exercise interval. You should be adding a 5-10% increase each week, but no more than this to prevent overtraining.
Mix it up a bit by alternating hard weeks with recovery weeks, and vary your interval formats so you don’t adapt and begin to plateau. Add a deload week every 3-4 weeks for supercompensation.
Long Steady-State Cardio
Longer steady-state cardio sessions work you at 60-75% of your maximum heart rate. This work aims to increase capillary density and blood volume while enhancing fat oxidation.
If you don’t want to train at maximal intensities to increase your VO2 max, this is the way to go. It still allows you to improve your cardiovascular efficiency at submaximal intensities.
VO2 Max Workout Formats You Can Use
Try out these different VO2-max-improving workout styles:
Tabata Protocol
Tabata is a popular HIIT style that uses 20 seconds of all-out effort followed by 10 seconds of complete rest. It uses eight rounds (4 minutes) total. This is an extremely high-intensity workout, and research has shown that it can burn the maximum number of calories and reduce overall fat, including belly fat.
Fartlek Training
Fartlek training involves unstructured speed play with mixed intensities, including surges to 90-95% of maximum heart rate, to develop both speed and endurance while boosting VO2 max. It’s usually a running training method that allows you to create your own intervals of varied work. For example, running at max speed until you reach a tree about 100 meters away, then slowing down to a jog until your heart rate has dropped, then aiming for 75% speed and intensity until the end of the sidewalk, etc. Plus, it can be a fun break from structured workouts.
Classic 4x4 Method
This method involves working at 90-95% of maximum heart rate for four minutes, followed by three minutes of active recovery at 60-70% of maximum heart rate, and then one minute of rest. There are four total intervals per session, and most workouts last around 30 minutes, including warm-up and cool-down.
Tech and Equipment That Enhance VO2 Max Training
Indoor cardio equipment is one of the most effective tools for enhancing your VO2 max training. Treadmills, digital stationary bikes like the Speediance VeloNix, rowing machines, or stair-steppers are just a few of the options you can use at home. Gyms are also rich with these types of machines, making it easy to switch it up as you like.
Modern devices like the VeloNix make tracking your progress straightforward. Adjustable resistance allows you to precisely target specific intensities, while real-time performance metrics are displayed on the screen as you work out. Choose pre-programmed interval protocols for convenience, or opt for a more customized approach and select your own path.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Quickly Does VO2 Max Improve?
You can start to see noticeable improvements in your VO2 max within 4-6 weeks of consistent training, with beginner athletes typically experiencing faster initial gains than more experienced individuals. The rate of improvement depends on your baseline fitness, training consistency, and the design of your program.
Do Slow Runs Increase VO2 Max?
Slow runs won’t directly raise your VO2 max ceiling, but they can help build an aerobic base that supports your recovery between other high-intensity sessions. They also provide benefits such as increased capillary density, mitochondrial development, and enhanced fat oxidation.
Does Running Every Day Improve VO2 Max?
Running every day on its own without other high-intensity work won’t maximize your VO2 max gains. Frequency is less important than the exercise itself for increasing VO2; you need to use high-intensity intervals. Daily runs build the aerobic base but won’t raise the ceiling.
Which Type of Training Most Improves VO2 Max?
The most effective type of training to improve your VO2 max is high-intensity interval training at 90-100% of your maximum heart rate. Try intervals of 3-5 minutes at a time for maximum cardio exertion, and train 2-3 times a week for ideal adaptation stimulus.
Elevate Your Aerobic Capacity with Smarter Training
Improving your VO2 max requires consistent, structured training. High-intensity interval training performed at 90%–100% of your maximum heart rate produces the greatest improvements. You can track your progress using wearables or field tests, but modern cardio equipment, such as the Speediance VeloNix, can also help. It offers real-time performance metrics and highly customizable intensities to continue growing and pushing your limits.
Creating a higher VO2 ceiling is a long-term journey, so invest in tools that will support aerobic development for years to come, and you’ll see sustainable progress that impacts every aspect of your fitness and health.
VO2 max. It represents the maximum oxygen uptake during intense exercise and is a trainable metric that responds to your workout protocol.
When your VO2 max ceiling gets higher, you’ll see improvements in your athletic performance, daily energy, and health span. Whether you’re a complete beginner or an elite athlete, you can leverage training strategies to improve your VO2 max at any age.
Learn which protocols you can use to systematically increase your aerobic capacity, how to measure your VO2 max, and the best equipment to help you make progress.
What VO2 Max Measures and Why It Matters
VO2 max measures the milliliters of oxygen that your body takes in and uses per kilogram per minute (ml/kg/min). Why does knowing your use of oxygen matter? It reflects how efficiently your lungs, heart, blood vessels, and muscles are using oxygen, and the more efficient your body is, the more oxygen it gets.
The average untrained adult male’s VO2 max is around 35-40ml/kg/min, while an untrained adult female's is around 27-31 ml/kg/min. VO2 max can be significantly higher for elite endurance athletes, whose bodies have become efficient at using oxygen, typically ranging from 70 to 85+ ml/kg/min.
Your VO2 max declines as you get older, around 10% each decade after you reach 30, if you don’t do anything to mitigate this natural decline. If you can improve it, it’s a good sign for your longevity. VO2 max can be a stronger predictor of mortality than traditional risk factors, such as blood pressure, with a low VO2 max correlating with an increased risk of all-cause mortality.
The good news is that everyone is trainable. Trainability varies by genetics, but everyone can improve their baseline.
How VO2 Max Supports Health, Fitness, and Longevity
A strong VO2 max creates benefits for your performance, health, and longevity. It enhances your endurance across all aerobic activities, such as running, swimming, cycling, or HIIT, while improving your body's ability to recover quickly between these high-intensity efforts. This training that raises VO2 max often also improves lactate threshold, allowing you to sustain higher-intensity movement without experiencing muscle pain and fatigue.
It’s also great for long-term health. A high VO2 ceiling reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease by 10-15% per metabolic equivalent increase, supports healthy blood pressure and cholesterol profiles, and improves insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism. Your brain benefits, too. Higher VO2 max is correlated with maintained cognitive function in aging populations. In practice, this means it will support your independence and maintain a good quality of life in your older years.
If you’re trying to lose weight or manage a healthy weight, there are benefits there, too. A good VO2 ceiling allows you to expend more calories with exercise, making every workout more effective.
Even your daily activities benefit. When your body uses oxygen efficiently, you’ll have a greater cardiovascular reserve that you can tap into for daily activities and stress response.
