What is VO2 Max: what affects it and how to improve. VO2 max as an indicator of fitness and athletic prospects

Some time ago we smart watch Withings, who learned how to measure the level of VO2 max. If you're serious about fitness, you've probably come across these terms at some point in your training. But what does it mean?

VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen a person can use. In other words, it is a measurement of your ability to consume oxygen. In addition, this is a great way to determine the strength of the cardiovascular system. People with a high VO2 max have better blood circulation, which means it is more efficiently distributed to all the muscles involved in physical activity.

How VO2 max is measured

This indicator is the sum of the number of milliliters of oxygen consumed per minute per body weight. Professional athletes undergo this test in special laboratories on a treadmill. During the test, the amount of oxygen required by the athlete is determined, including in those moments when the intensity of the load increases. The process usually takes about 10-15 minutes.

For the Withings Steel HR Sport, VO2 max is determined using data from your workout speed and heart rate.

Highest VO2 max

The highest figure was recorded by cyclist Oskar Svendzen, he was 97.5 ml / kg / min. Generally, top scores show representatives of those sports that require special endurance. Statistically, rowers and runners have the most high level V02 max among other athletes.

What affects V02 max

Genetics and physical fitness play a huge role. However, there are several other factors that determine a person's VO2 max to some extent.

• Gender: Generally, women have about 20% lower VO2 max than men.
• Height: The shorter a person is, the higher his performance.
• Age: The maximum level is fixed at the age of 18 to 25, after which it decreases.

You can also improve your V02 max by increasing the duration and intensity of your workout, or by simply starting to exercise if you haven't already. And as you become more experienced, you need to gradually increase the intensity of your workouts.

Now I have a Garmin Forerunner 630, another perfect running watch like , only newer and in blue. They look a little more ... masculine (I had white and orange 620s). The set of functions of this watch will satisfy a runner of any level of advancedness (if you don’t believe it, everything is the same in the new ones, only even better) and there will probably be a few features in reserve that few will get to. Today is just about those.

VO2 Max, aka MPC
It was like this with me: I lived calmly and did not pay attention to the new VO2 Max value periodically popping up on the watch screen, and it appeared approximately every time the training was faster and more difficult than all the previous ones performed with this watch. But to determine this figure, people put on masks and run on the track. How can a watch know how it really is? Now, when I did a real ANMS and MIC test with a gas analyzer and lactate sampling, I know everything about myself. So you can compare the results!

“VO2 Max refers to the maximum amount of oxygen (in milliliters) per kilogram of body weight that you can take in per minute during maximum exercise. In other words, VO2 Max is a measure sports training, which should increase as physical form” is a definition from the Garmin manual.

On August 27, on a test in the clinic, it turned out that my IPC, aka VO2 Max, is equal - in order to find out, I had to run up to a heart rate value of 206 beats per minute. Garmin Forerunner 630, with which I ran for about the whole summer, all my workouts and two nightly tens - and by that time managed to fix the number 52.

In the clinic, of course, I didn’t wear a watch, so the maximum heart rate that they (the watch) had to see with me was 197 beats per minute. Perhaps the fact that the IPC recorded by Garmin turned out to be lower than the real maximum is precisely due to the fact that I did not reach the maximum with it? I decided to ask Dr. Mikhail Nasekin what he thinks about all this. And Doc thinks so:

“You were right to point out the difference in heart rate: if you had kept your heart rate at 206 beats per minute in training for any long time, Garmin would write the VO2 Max value closer to the real one. But I am a supporter of making a conclusion about the correct / incorrect calculation based on statistics. Two, three, and even ten observations are not enough to draw a conclusion. In practice, most of those who accurately record all runs, the readings are the same + -2 ml / kg / min. But, I repeat, it is possible to assert that it actually exists or not after a full-fledged study. Then it will be reliable and relevant, and before that - all our fantasies. On the other hand, you will not (and no one will) do the maximum test every month. It will ruin all workouts. Therefore, Garmins are indispensable for assessing the dynamics of the IPC.”

So-so, dynamics, you say? Let's see what happened with VO2 Max before and after testing in the clinic.

On July 17, I reached the value of 52 ml / kg / min, after which for some time the indicator fluctuated between 51 and 52, and on September 25, at the satellite race of the Moscow Marathon, the clock recorded 53 ml / kg / min.

The record on the top ten could not be updated, but the watch recorded a new VO2 Max

In October, the figure has already changed twice (even without races) - first by 54, and then by 55. That's how the growth went! Isn't it time to get the MIC back on the gauges, Doc?

According to him, 55 for a girl of 20-29 years old is excellent, and even for a man very much. (This is me, like, boasting).

Such results predict me hours. Ten and marathon I have already run faster!

lactate threshold
Yes, Garmin Forerunner 630 are taken to guess lactate threshold. Sounds impressive, especially when the word "lactate" is associated with blood draw. But watches cannot scan blood, so in reality everything is much simpler.

The definition of the lactate threshold from the instructions looks like this:

“The lactate threshold is the intensity of exercise at which lactate (lactic acid) begins to accumulate in the bloodstream. When running, the lactate threshold indicates the level of effort. When an athlete exceeds this threshold, fatigue begins to arrive at an accelerated pace. For advanced runners, the lactate threshold corresponds to approximately 90% of maximum heart rate at a pace between 10K and a half marathon. For intermediate runners, the lactate threshold often corresponds to a heart rate below 90% of maximum. By knowing your lactate threshold, you will be able to determine the intensity of your training, as well as choose the right moment to snatch in competition.”

The watch tells the athlete two numbers - the pulse and the pace at which this threshold is reached. My Garmins thought I had it at 180 heart rate and 4:29 min/km pace. Dr. Nasekin did not agree with this:

“The definition of the lactate threshold from the instructions is not bad: it describes the situation and the physiology of what happens after it is overcome quite fully. There is an inaccuracy: Garmin calculates it from the maximum heart rate, which calculates either according to the formula HR Max = 220 - age, or from the HR Max value that you set with your hands. In fact, your lactate threshold is where PANO is, that is, at 196 beats / min. Oops!

The clock did not guess the lactate threshold. But! Firstly, they calculated it from the maximum heart rate = 202, which I myself once indicated (I’m already running to set the correct Max heart rate and see what happens). Secondly, my TANM was a little closer to the maximum heart rate (95%) than one might think. In any case, accuracy is not as important here as the ability to follow the dynamics : at the same lactate threshold pulse, the watch periodically updates the pace. It's nice when it grows.

The watch itself
In the box here is a set from the device itself, chest heart rate monitor HRM-RUN4 and charging cord:

There is a complete set without HRM - you can connect any other Garmin heart rate monitor to the watch, even an older model. But this one is the newest and most accurate. It is he who collects information about the pulse, as well as the length and frequency of steps, about the time of contact with the ground (each leg! It turns out that it can differ for the left and right), about the height of vertical oscillations (how high you jump while running. By the way, I jump as much as 8 cm!). Running statistics are mega-detailed, it can be considered and analyzed for a long time if you understand what's what.

In the "Running indoors" mode (for arenas, for the winter), GPS is turned off and the distance is determined using the accelerometer. I tried twice, the numbers were very close to the truth.

In addition to all the data, the watch evaluates the effectiveness of training, gives recommendations for recovery and easily replaces a fitness bracelet: if you wear it during the day, it will count the steps and will periodically remind you that it’s time to get up from your office chair and walk up the stairs, and if you also do not take them off at night, they will show how much you managed to sleep. When you carry your phone somewhere in your pocket with Bluetooth turned on, the watch displays all sorts of notifications - well, there are calls or messages in Telegram. So, looking at your watch, you can decide whether to answer or whether it can wait until the end of the run.

A photo posted by Lena Kalashnikova (@site) on Oct 25, 2016 at 11:03am PDT

Forerunner 630 is not only accurate, but also fast: you just have to go outside and press the button with the runner - and the GPS is immediately caught, and the heart rate monitor is found. No need to stand still and wait for a signal, you can immediately start training, which is especially important in cold autumn and winter. But most of all in Forerunner 630 I appreciate independence, namely, synchronization via wi-fi. What does it look like? And like this: I run home, do a hitch, and at this time the information about the run itself is sent to Garmin Connect, and at the same time to Strava and Nike+. You don't even have to do anything! It seems that I already wrote this ... Exactly, in.

And this is something else that is pleasant for owners of different Garmin devices: through the special Face-it application, you can put any photo on the screensaver of your watch and walk around to rejoice every time you look at the screen. So that.

The cost of watches at the time of publication of the material: from 29,890 rubles. without HRM-Run4 sensor and from 33,670 rubles. included with HRM-Run4 at www.garmin.ru

Photo: Andrey Morozov, Petr Tuchinsky, Marathon Photo

On our site - about the concept of VO2max, breathing while running and how this information can be usefully applied by an ordinary runner like you and me.

Runners of all levels, from enthusiastic amateurs to pros, are looking for ways to improve their training to improve their performance and break new records.

Running on long distances requires the athlete a large amount of endurance training to overcome constant physiological stress. Various ways manipulation of physiological parameters to improve endurance and performance in runners has been underway for more than 30 years, although a fair number of questions remain (1). Most of the techniques known today have emerged as a result of numerous trials and errors, and only a few of them have received a clear scientific justification (2, 3, 4).

For a long time, the maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) indicator has been used as a kind of “magic bullet”, allowing you to build training based on its value and analyze the performance and progress of an athlete. But is it really that good, is it suitable for everyone, and can you rely on it?

It is believed that for every person who is passionate about running, VO2max (or VDOT for Daniels) actually determines his talent or potential. VO2max measures your maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) and is one of the most commonly used metrics to track your progress in training. Of course, we have all heard about the incredible VO2max figures of many professional athletes: Lance Armstrong (84 ml / kg / min), Steve Prefontaine (84.4 ml / kg / min), Bjørn Dæhlie (96 ml / kg / min) and many others.

But is it necessary to pay such close attention to these figures? In short, no.

Contrary to popular belief, VO2max is just a measurement and does not represent an athlete's fitness or potential. In fact, among a few trained runners, it's impossible to determine the fastest runner based on VO2max alone.

The measurement of VO2max does not very accurately reflect the most important processes of transport and utilization of oxygen in the muscles. Let's try to start by taking a closer look at this indicator, its components, as well as the impact that various stages of oxygen transport have on VO2max.

VO2max concept

The term "maximum oxygen uptake" was first described and used by Hill (5) and Herbst (6) in the 1920s (7). The main points of the VO2max theory were:

• There is an upper limit for oxygen consumption,
• There is a natural difference in VO2max values,
• High VO2max is essential for successful participation in races for medium and long distances,
• VO2max is limited by the ability of the cardiovascular system to carry oxygen to the muscles.

VO2max measures the maximum amount of oxygen used and is calculated by subtracting the amount of oxygen exhaled from the amount of oxygen taken in (8). Because VO2max is used to quantify aerobic capacity, it is influenced by a large number of factors along the long oxygen journey from the environment to the mitochondria in the muscles.

Formula for calculating VO2max:
VO2max \u003d Q x (CaO2-CvO2),

where Q is cardiac output, CaO2 is the oxygen content in arterial blood, CvO2 is the oxygen content in venous blood.

This equation takes into account the volume of blood pumped by our heart (cardiac output = stroke volume x heart rate), as well as the difference between the oxygen level in the blood flowing to the muscles (CaO2 - arterial oxygen content) and the oxygen level in the blood, flowing from the muscles to the heart and lungs (CvO2 - oxygen content in venous blood).

Essentially, the difference (CaO2-CvO2) is the amount of oxygen taken up by the muscles. While measuring VO2max is of little value for practical purposes, developing the ability to consume and utilize oxygen more efficiently has an impact on runner performance. The absorption and utilization of oxygen, in turn, depend on a number of factors that occur along the long path of oxygen.

The movement of oxygen from atmospheric air to the mitochondria is called the oxygen cascade. Here are its main steps:

• Oxygen consumption

The entry of air into the lungs
- Movement along the tracheobronchial tree to the alveoli and capillaries, where oxygen enters the blood

• Oxygen transport

Cardiac output - blood flows to organs and tissues
- Hemoglobin concentration
- Blood volume
- Capillaries from which oxygen enters the muscles

• Oxygen utilization

Transport to mitochondria
- Use in aerobic oxidation and electron transport chains

Oxygen consumption

The first step in the oxygen journey is to get it into the lungs and into the bloodstream. This part is mainly the responsibility of our respiratory system(Fig. 1).

Air enters the lungs from the oral and nasal cavities due to the pressure difference between the lungs and the external environment (in the external environment, the oxygen pressure is greater than in the lungs, and oxygen is “sucked” into our lungs). In the lungs, air moves through the bronchi to smaller structures called bronchioles.

At the end of the bronchioles special education- respiratory sacs, or alveoli. Alveoli is a place of transfer (diffusion) of oxygen from the lungs to the blood, or rather, to the capillaries braiding the alveoli (Imagine a ball entangled in a web - these will be alveoli with capillaries). Capillaries are the smallest blood vessels in the body, their diameter is only 3-4 micrometers, which is less than the diameter of an erythrocyte. Receiving oxygen from the alveoli, the capillaries then carry it to larger vessels that eventually empty into the heart. From the heart through the arteries, oxygen is carried to all tissues and organs of our body, including muscles.

The amount of oxygen entering the capillaries depends both on the presence of a pressure difference between the alveoli and capillaries (the oxygen content in the alveoli is greater than in the capillaries), and on total capillaries. The number of capillaries plays a role, especially in highly trained athletes, as it allows more blood to flow through the alveoli, allowing more oxygen to enter the blood.

Rice. 1. The structure of the lungs and gas exchange in the alveolus.

Oxygen use or demand depends on running speed. As the speed increases, more cells in the leg muscles become active, the muscles need more energy to maintain the pushing movement, which means that the muscles consume oxygen at a higher rate.

In fact, oxygen consumption is linearly related to running speed (higher speed - more oxygen consumed, Fig. 2).

rice. 2. Dependence of VO2max and running speed. On the horizontal axis - speed (km / h), on the vertical axis - oxygen consumption (ml / kg / min). HR - heart rate.

The average 15 km/h runner is likely to consume 50 ml of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute (mL/kg/min). At 17.5 km/h, the consumption rate will rise to almost 60 ml/kg/min. If the runner is able to run at 20 km/h, the oxygen consumption will be even higher, around 70 ml/kg/min.

However, VO2max cannot increase indefinitely. In his study, Hill describes a range of changes in VO2 in an athlete running on a grass track with different speed(9). After 2.5 minutes of running at 282 m/min, his VO2 reached 4.080 L/min (or 3.730 L/min above the measured value at rest). Since VO2 at speeds of 259, 267, 271 and 282 m/min did not increase above the value obtained at a running speed of 243 m/min, this confirmed the assumption that at high speeds VO2 reaches a maximum (plateau), which cannot be exceeded, no matter how running speed (Fig. 3).

fig.3. Achievement of "equilibrium state" (plateau) for oxygen consumption at different paces of running at a constant speed. The horizontal axis is the time since the start of each run, the vertical axis is the oxygen consumption (L/min) above the resting value. Running speeds (from bottom to top) 181, 203, 203 and 267 m/min. The three lower curves represent the true equilibrium state, while in the upper curve the oxygen demand exceeds the measured consumption.

Today, the fact of the existence of a physiological upper limit of the body's ability to consume oxygen is generally accepted. This the best way was illustrated in the classic plot by Åstrand and Saltin (10) shown in Figure 4.

fig.4 Increase in oxygen consumption during heavy work on a bicycle ergometer over time. The arrows show the time at which the athlete stopped due to fatigue. The output power (W) for each job is also shown. The athlete can continue to perform work at 275 W output power for more than 8 minutes.

Speaking about the intensity of work, it is necessary to clarify one fact. Even at high intensity, blood oxygen saturation does not fall below 95% (this is 1-3% lower than that of a healthy person at rest).

This fact is used as an indicator that oxygen consumption and transport from the lungs to the blood are not limiting factors in performance, as blood saturation remains high. However, a phenomenon known as “exercise-induced arterial hypoxemia” has been described in some trained athletes (11). This condition is characterized by a drop in oxygen saturation of 15% during exercise, relative to the level of rest. A 1% drop in oxygen at an oxygen saturation below 95% results in a 1-2% decrease in VO2max (12).

The reason for the development of this phenomenon is as follows. The high cardiac output of a trained athlete leads to an acceleration of blood flow through the lungs, and oxygen simply does not have time to saturate the blood flowing through the lungs. For an analogy, imagine a train passing through a small town in India where people often jump on trains as they go. At a train speed of 20 km/h, say, 30 people can jump on the train, while at a train speed of 60 km/h, 2-3 people will jump on it at best. The train is the cardiac output, the speed of the train is the blood flow through the lungs, the passengers are the oxygen trying to get from the lungs into the blood. Thus, in some trained athletes, the consumption and diffusion of oxygen from the alveoli into the blood can still affect the value of VO2max.

In addition to diffusion, cardiac output, the number of capillaries, VO2max and blood oxygen saturation can be influenced by the breathing process itself, more precisely by the muscles involved in the breathing process.

The so-called "oxygen cost" of breathing has a significant effect on VO2max. In "ordinary" people with moderately intense physical activity approximately 3-5% of the absorbed oxygen is spent on respiration, and at high intensity these costs rise to 10% of the VO2max value (13). In other words, some part of the absorbed oxygen is spent on the process of breathing (the work of the respiratory muscles). In trained athletes, 15-16% of VO2max is expended on breathing during intense exercise (14). The higher cost of breathing in well-trained athletes supports the assumption that oxygen demand and performance-limiting factors are different between trained and untrained individuals.

Other possible reason The fact that the breathing process can limit the athlete's performance is the existing "competition" for blood flow between the respiratory muscles (mainly the diaphragm) and skeletal muscles(e.g. leg muscles). Roughly speaking, the diaphragm can “pull” on itself part of the blood that does not get into the muscles of the legs because of this. Because of this competition, diaphragmatic fatigue can occur at intensity levels above 80% of VO2max (15). In other words, with a conditionally average running intensity, the diaphragm may “get tired” and work less efficiently, which leads to depletion of the body with oxygen (since the diaphragm is responsible for inhalation, when the diaphragm is tired, its efficiency decreases, and the lungs begin to work worse).

In their review, Sheel et al showed that after including special breathing exercises, athletes showed improved performance (16). This hypothesis was supported by a study conducted on cyclists, when during 20 and 40 km segments, athletes developed global inspiratory muscle fatigue (17). After training the inspiratory muscles, athletes were found to improve performance on 20 and 40 km segments by 3.8% and 4.6%, respectively, as well as a decrease in respiratory muscle fatigue after the segments.

Thus, the respiratory muscles affect VO2max, and the degree of this influence depends on the level of training. For higher level athletes, fatigue of the respiratory muscles and hypoxemia (lack of oxygen) caused by physical activity will be important limiting factors.

Because of this, well-trained athletes should use breathing training, while runners entry level, most likely, will not get the same effect from it.

by the most in a simple way training of the respiratory muscles, which is also used in clinics, is to exhale through loosely compressed lips. It is necessary to feel that you are exhaling with the entire diaphragm, start with slow and deep inhalation and exhalation, gradually increasing the exhalation speed.

Oxygen transport

Since the first experiments of A.V. Hill's VO2max measurement, oxygen transport has always been considered the main limiting factor for VO2max (18).

It has been estimated that oxygen transport (all the way from oxygen entering the bloodstream to being taken up by the muscles) affects VO2max by about 70-75% (19). One of the important components of oxygen transport is its delivery to organs and tissues, which is also influenced by a large number of factors.

Adaptation of the cardiovascular system

Cardiac output (CO) is the amount of blood ejected by the heart per minute and is also considered an important factor limiting VO2max.

Cardiac output is dependent on two factors - heart rate (HR) and stroke volume (SV). Therefore, to increase the maximum CO, one of these factors must be changed. The maximum heart rate does not change under the influence of endurance training, while the VR in athletes increases both at rest and during work of any intensity. The increase in SV occurs due to an increase in the size and contractility of the heart (20).

These changes in the heart cause an improvement in the ability to quickly fill the chambers of the heart. According to the Frank-Starling law, as the expansion of the chamber of the heart increases before contraction, the contraction itself will be stronger. For an analogy, imagine a strip of rubber being stretched. The stronger the stretch, the faster the contraction. This means that filling the heart chambers in athletes will cause the heart to contract more rapidly, and thus lead to an increase in stroke volume. In addition, long-distance runners have the ability to quickly fill the chambers of the heart at a high intensity of exercise. This is a fairly important physiological change, since normally, with an increase in heart rate, there is less time to fill the chambers of the heart.

Hemoglobin

Another important factor in oxygen transport is the ability of the blood to carry oxygen. This ability depends on the mass of red blood cells, erythrocytes, as well as the concentration of hemoglobin, which serves as the main carrier of oxygen in the body.

Increasing hemoglobin should improve performance by increasing oxygen transport to the muscles. Research clearly shows this relationship by examining how lower hemoglobin levels will affect performance ( 21Trusted Source ). For example, a decrease in hemoglobin levels in anemia leads to a decrease in VO2max (22).

So, in one of the studies, after a decrease in hemoglobin levels, a decrease in VO2max, hematocrit and endurance was observed. However, after two weeks, a recovery of baseline VO2max was noted, and hemoglobin and endurance remained reduced (23).

The fact that VO2max can be maintained at normal levels when hemoglobin levels are low raises a number of questions and demonstrates the vast adaptive capacity of the body, a reminder that there are a huge number of ways to optimize oxygen delivery to increase VO2max. In addition, the return of VO2max, but not endurance, to normal levels may indicate that VO2max and endurance are not synonymous.

At the other end of the spectrum are studies where hemoglobin levels were artificially raised. These studies have shown increases in both VO2max and performance (24). Eleven elite runners included in one study showed a significant increase in time to exhaustion and VO2max after blood transfusion and an increase in hemoglobin from 157 g/L to 167 g/L (25). In a study with blood doping that artificially increased hemoglobin, VO2max improved by 4%-9% (Gledhill 1982).

Taken together, all of the above facts suggest that hemoglobin levels have a significant impact on VO2max.

Blood volume

With an increase in hemoglobin, the blood becomes more viscous, since most of it contains red blood cells, and not plasma. With an increase in the number of red blood cells, viscosity increases and such an indicator as hematocrit increases. For analogues, imagine how water flows through pipes of the same diameter (this is an analogue of blood with normal hemoglobin and hematocrit) and jelly (hemoglobin and hematocrit are increased).

Hematocrit determines the ratio between red blood cells and plasma. With high blood viscosity, blood flow slows down, making it difficult and sometimes completely stopping the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to organs and tissues. The reason is that blood with high viscosity flows very “lazy”, and it may not get into the smallest vessels, capillaries, simply clogging them. Therefore, an excessively high hematocrit can potentially reduce performance by interfering with the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the tissues.

In endurance training, the normal situation is an increase in both blood volume and hematocrit with hemoglobin, with an increase in blood volume of up to 10% (26). In medicine, the concept of the so-called optimal hematocrit has changed quite a lot of times, and disputes still do not subside, what level of this indicator is considered optimal.

Obviously, there is no unequivocal answer to this question, and for each athlete, the hematocrit level at which there is maximum endurance and performance can be considered optimal. However, it must be remembered that a high hematocrit is not always good.

Athletes using illegal drugs (eg, erythropoietin (EPO) to artificially increase red blood cells) will have very good endurance and performance. The downside of this can be a dangerously high hematocrit level, as well as an increase in blood viscosity (27).

On the other hand, there are endurance athletes who run with low hematocrit and hemoglobin levels, which in normal life can be a sign of anemia. It is possible that such changes are a response to the high-altitude adaptation of athletes.

Adaptation to highlands can be three different types (28):

• Ethiopia - maintaining a balance between blood saturation and hemoglobin
• Andes - an increase in red blood cells with a decrease in blood oxygen saturation
• Tibet - normal hemoglobin concentration with decreased blood oxygen saturation

Several adaptation options suggest that there are several ways to optimize blood counts. There is still no answer to the question of which of the options (low or high hematocrit) in sports has better oxygen delivery. Most likely, no matter how trite it may sound, the situation with each athlete is individual.

Another important parameter that plays a role during running is the so-called blood bypass.

This mechanism is useful when the muscles need more blood and oxygen with nutrients. If at rest the skeletal muscles receive only 15-20% of the total blood volume, then during intense physical activity, approximately 80-85% of the total blood volume goes to the muscles. The process is regulated by relaxation and contraction of the arteries. In addition, during endurance training, the density of capillaries increases, through which all the necessary substances enter the bloodstream. Capillary density has also been shown to be directly related to VO2max (29).

Oxygen utilization

Once oxygen has reached the muscles, it must be utilized. Mitochondria, the “energy stations” of our cells, are responsible for the utilization of oxygen, in which oxygen is used to produce energy. How much oxygen the muscles have absorbed can be judged by the “arteriovenous difference”, that is, the difference between the oxygen content in the blood flowing (arterial) to the muscle and the oxygen content in the blood flowing (venous) from the muscle.

In other words, if 100 units of oxygen flow in and 40 units flow out, then the arteriovenous difference will be 60 units - that is how much the muscles have absorbed.

The arteriovenous difference is not a limiting factor for VO2max for a number of reasons. First, this difference is quite similar between elite and non-professional runners (30). Secondly, if you look at the arteriovenous difference, you can see that very little oxygen remains in the vein. The oxygen content in the blood flowing to the muscles is approximately 200 ml of oxygen per liter of blood, while the outflowing venous blood contains only about 20-30 ml of oxygen per liter of blood (29).

Interestingly, the arteriovenous difference score can improve with exercise, which means more oxygen uptake by the muscles. Several studies have shown an increase in arteriovenous difference of approximately 11% with systematic endurance training (31).

Given all these facts, it can be said that although the arteriovenous difference is not a limiting factor in VO2max, important and useful changes in this indicator occur during endurance training, indicating a greater absorption of oxygen by the muscles.

Oxygen ends its long journey in the mitochondria of the cell. Skeletal muscle mitochondria are the site of aerobic energy production. In the mitochondria themselves, oxygen is involved in the electron transport chain, or respiratory chain. Thus, the number of mitochondria plays an important role in energy generation. In theory, the more mitochondria, the more oxygen can be utilized in the muscles. Studies have shown that the number of mitochondrial enzymes increases with exercise, but the increase in VO2max is small. The role of mitochondrial enzymes is to enhance the response in the mitochondria to greatly increase energy production.

In one study examining changes during and after exercise, mitochondrial power increased by 30% during exercise, while VO2max increased by only 19%. However, VO2max persisted longer than mitochondrial power after exercise was stopped (32).

Conclusions:

1. The VO2max indicator characterizes the maximum amount of oxygen used.
2. VO2max is used to quantify the capacity of the aerobic system.
3. For practical purposes, measuring VO2max is of little value, but developing the ability to consume and utilize oxygen more efficiently affects runner performance.
4. As the running speed increases, the muscles consume oxygen at a higher rate.
5. VO2max has an end point of growth, after which it reaches a plateau, or equilibrium state
6. The breathing process itself significantly affects VO2max.
7. Respiratory muscles influence VO2max, and the degree of this influence depends on the level of training.
8. The maximum heart rate does not change under the influence of endurance training, while the stroke volume in athletes increases both at rest and during work of any intensity.
9. The hemoglobin level has a significant effect on VO2max.
10. An excessively high hematocrit can potentially reduce performance by interfering with the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the tissues.

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For those looking to improve their sports results, it is very important to choose the right training program, which will determine the further optimal development of the athlete. In an age of rapidly developing professional sports, where a lot of money is spinning, it is also important to make the right bets when choosing promising athletes.

But how to do that? Perspective cannot be touched by hands. Muscle elasticity and many body abilities also cannot be measured, and here the definition of VO 2 max indicator comes to the fore, because it is he who gives a considerable idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe athlete's capabilities.

In CrossFit, this is also very useful information, because it becomes possible to competently build and analyze training processes. In that sports direction, as in any sport, first of all, health should be considered, and the determination of VO 2 max in each person plays a very important role.

VO 2 max in athletes and ordinary people

VO 2 max is the body's ability to absorb and assimilate oxygen, and this indicator is measured in the number of milliliters per minute per kilogram of body weight. The average non-athletic person has a VO2 max of about 45 ml/kg/min. For women, this figure is less by about 15%. For comparison, professional athletes absorb up to 100 ml of oxygen per kilogram.

Someone runs cross-country daily, not suspecting that the efficiency of his training is relatively low. Someone you know can easily box for 15 rounds, training in a similar way, but this someone can’t stand even ten at this pace. Why is this happening? Genetics, you say. Alas, this is so, the scientists answer, but more on this later.

In addition, there is more bad news. Children not only inherit VO2 max from their parents, but even the ability to develop it (about the most effective ways we will also discuss below).

Can VO2 max be improved?

At the beginning of the 2000s, scientists from Norway conducted the largest experiment that has ever been related to research related to VO 2 max. More than 4.5 thousand men and women took part in it, as a result of which it was found that each person at some stage of his training can come to a very good indicator. Yeah, it doesn't compare to professional athlete, but his VO2 max may well reach 70 and even 80 ml / kg / min.

In these studies, it was also found that exercise significantly reduces the likelihood of diseases associated with the cardiovascular system.

Thus, the determining factor for the development of this key indicator will be the specificity, focus of training, as well as their correct construction.

How to improve VO2 max?

In 1996-1997, the world saw an article published by a Japanese scientist, whose name is Izumi Tabata. It was he who laid the foundation for the development of the notorious training formula for today. The research of a doctor from Japan set goals for the possibility of improving metabolic performance and increasing the degree of oxygen uptake by muscles with the help of active loads.

During the experiments, it was found that the interval load (20 seconds burst, 10 seconds rest) effectively improves key performance indicators in regular workouts within a few weeks.

As we have already said, Norwegian scientists claim the possibility of improving VO 2 max. And in methods, they are unanimous with Izumi Tabata, pointing to interval training, which is crossfit in all its directions. There are many options for building interval training. As a running program Special attention you should pay attention to the fartlek - here training can become not only effective, but also exciting.

If we are talking, for example, about a runner, then you can improve your skills by explosive sprints uphill or up stairs in interval mode (I described detailed schemes in one of the articles on types of interval training).

Also, the training program should include strength exercises, since it is they who develop muscles, while increasing the capillary network for transporting oxygen, which ultimately leads to the possibility of improving VO 2 max. This issue is especially true for those who cannot boast of genetic "open spaces".

Don't forget about regular cardio workouts too, which are the foundation of any sport and cardiovascular health. Knowing VO 2 max allows you to individually build crossfit workouts, varying and shifting emphasis between aerobic and anaerobic exercises.

Afterword

No need to look for reasons to blame nature. Human body has a lot of reserves, and someone is given one thing, and someone else. After all, it would be boring for big boys to live if the smaller ones did not have their advantages. The trick is that these benefits only need to be developed, as can VO 2 max.

In CrossFit, you can pull heavy weights, but fall behind in jumping, running, and coordination. In martial arts, size to a large extent determines the possibilities, but large guys in the ring or on the wrestling mat still move slower than small ones. Yes, the first ones are always stronger, but this is absolutely no reason to score on your development, reproaching nature for something.

crossfit, boxing, wrestling, Athletics- it doesn't matter - everywhere there are heights that require hard work to achieve. It is important to find motivation, which will determine the desire to achieve these heights.

Do it for the benefit of the soul and health, and do it wisely.

Without modern knowledge about the work and functioning of the human body during maximum loads it is impossible for any athlete to succeed in sports, especially in running.

Knowledge about VO2max is necessary not only for athletes, but also for ordinary people, since this indicator reveals the secrets of the health status of any person on this moment, the capabilities of the body, its ability to long life.

What is vo2 max?

VO2 Max is defined as the maximum amount of oxygen your body can take in, deliver, and use in one minute. It is limited by the amount of oxygen in the blood that the lungs and circulatory system can process and the amount of oxygen the muscles can extract from the blood.

The name means: V - volume, O 2 - oxygen, max - maximum. VO 2 max is expressed either as an absolute rate of liters of oxygen per minute (l/min) or as a relative rate in milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute (eg ml/(kg min)). The latter expression is often used to compare the endurance performance of athletes

What does he characterize?

VO2max is a measure of the maximum rate at which an athlete's body is able to absorb oxygen during a particular operation, adjusted for body weight.

It is estimated that VO2 Max decreases by about 1% per year.

A high VO2max is important because it is closely related to the distance covered by the subject. Studies have shown that VO2max accounts for roughly 70 percent of race performance success among individual runners.

So if you're able to run a 5000m one minute faster than I can, it's likely that your VO2max is higher than mine by an amount that's good enough to account for 42 seconds of that minute.

There are two main factors that contribute to high VO2max. One is a strong oxygenation transport system, which includes a powerful heart, blood hemoglobin, high blood volume, high capillary density in muscle, and high mitochondrial density in muscle cells.

The second speed is the ability to compress a large amount muscle fibers at the same time, because the more muscle tissue active at any given time, the more oxygen the muscles consume.

This makes VO2 Max a critical sign of aging that we can measure and improve with the right aerobic workout. To do this you must raise your heart rate to between 65 and 85 percent of your maximum through aerobic exercise for at least 20 minutes, three or five times a week.

The difference in performance between ordinary people and athletes

At ordinary people in men aged 20-39 years, VO2max is on average from 31.8 to 42.5 ml / kg / min, and in runners of the same age, VO2max indicators are on average up to 77 ml / kg / min.

Untrained girls and women tend to have maximum oxygen uptake 20-25% lower than untrained men. However, when comparing elite athletes, the gap tends to be close to 10%.

Going further, VO2 max is adjusted for fat-free mass in elite male and female athletes, the difference disappearing in some studies. Sex-specific essential fat stores are hypothesized to account for most of the metabolic differences in running between men and women.

In general, the decrease in age-related VO2 max can be explained by a decrease in maximum heart rate, maximum blood volume, and maximum a-VO2 difference, that is, the difference between the oxygen concentration in arterial blood and venous blood.

How is Vo2 max measured?

Accurate measurement of VO2 max involves physical effort of sufficient duration and intensity to fully load the aerobic energy system.

In general clinical and athletic testing, this typically includes a differentiated exercise test (either on a treadmill or on a bicycle ergometer) in which exercise intensity is gradually increased while measuring: ventilation and oxygen, and carbon dioxide concentrations in inhaled and exhaled air .

• VO 2 max is reached when oxygen consumption remains stable despite an increase in work volume.
• VO 2 max is correctly determined by the Fick equation:
• VO2max=Q x (CaO2-CvO2)

these values ​​are obtained during exercise at maximum effort, where Q is the cardiac output of the heart, C O 2 is the arterial oxygen content, and C V O 2 is the venous oxygen content.

• (C O 2 - C v O 2) is also known as the arteriovenous oxygen difference.

In running, it is usually determined by a procedure known as a test. additional exercises, in which the athlete breathes into a tube, and the device with a tube collects and measures exhaled gases while running on a treadmill, where

the tape speed or gradient gradually increases until the athlete reaches fatigue. Max Speed The oxygen consumption recorded in this test will be the VO2max of the runner.

Calculation of VO 2 Max without fitness testing.

To determine your heart rate without a monitor, place two fingers against the artery on the side of your neck, just below your jaw. You should be able to feel your heartbeat on your fingers. Set a timer for 60 seconds and count the number of beats you feel

This is your heart rate (heart rate) in beats per minute (BPM). Calculate your maximum heart rate. The most common way to calculate your maximum heart rate is by subtracting your age from 220. If you are 25 years old, your HR max = 220 -25 = 195 beats per minute (bpm).

Let's define VO 2 max with a simple formula. The simplest formula to calculate VO 2 max VO 2 max = 15 x (HR max / HR rest). This method is considered good when compared with other general formulas.

Calculate VO2 max. Use of rest and maximum heart rate you have already determined, you can plug these values ​​into the formula and calculate VO 2 max. Let's say your resting heart rate is 80 beats per minute and your maximum heart rate is 195 beats per minute.

• Write the formula: VO 2 max = 15 x (HR max / HR rest)
• Connect values: VO 2 max = 15 x (195/80).
• Solve: VO 2 max = 15 x 2.44 = 36.56 ml/kg/min.

How to Improve Your VO2max

A quick way to improve VO2max is to run for about six minutes at the fastest pace you can sustain during that time. So you could do a VO2max workout that consisted of a 10 minute warm up, a six minute run, and a 10 minute cool down.

But it's not the best The best way VO2max preparation, as you can get very tired after a six-minute effort. It is better to do several fewer efforts at the same or slightly higher intensity, separated by recovery periods, as this allows the athlete to use more of the total time at 100 percent VO2max before reaching exhaustion. Another option is to add intensity back just a little, and run slightly longer intervals.

Start with 30/30 intervals. After warming up for at least 10 minutes with light jogging, work hard for 30 seconds at your fastest pace. Then slow down to lung Good a way to introduce VO2max training into your program with 30/30 and 60/60 intervals. Continue alternating fast and slow 30-second bursts until you've completed at least 12 and then 20 of each.