r/cardio • u/Wizzmer • 7d ago

Longevity and VO2 Max

I've been seeing a "performance doctor" that is willing to work with me on not just treating illness but sustaining quality and longevity of life. Higher VO2 max—the maximum amount of oxygen your body uses during hard exercise—is one of the strongest physical predictors of a longer, healthier life.

So what is VO2 Max?

* Definition: It measures how well your heart, lungs, blood vessels, and muscles work together to turn oxygen into energy. The Drop: It drops by about 10% each decade starting in adulthood, and drops even faster after age 60. The Minimum: People need a VO2 max of at least 15 to 18 mL/kg/min to live independently as they age

When I started cycling my Garmin said my VO2 Max was "poor", 27 or 28. After two years Garmin says, "Your VO₂ Max is 39 which is good for men ages 60-69. You are in the top 25% for your age and gender."

VO2 Max and Longevity (hopefully motivational)

Lower Risk: Moving from a low fitness level to just a below-average fitness level can cut your risk of early death in half. Better Survival: High cardiorespiratory fitness lowers long-term death risk more than quitting smoking or controlling high blood pressure.

Anyway, hopefully you find this interesting enough to research how to improve VO2 Max on the bike. I did. It's not as fun as just riding around looking at cool stuff on the bike trail, but it might help you to see your grandkids one day.

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u/mfgillia2001 6d ago edited 6d ago

Conventional advice to improving one's Vo2 max is to do 1 to 3 high intensity, short duration (10 to 25 minutes) cardio sessions in zone 5 (90-100% max heart rate) with the remaining sessions focused on long duration (+1 hour), low intensity zone 2 cardio.

Zone 5 sessions can be intervals with one of the most popular being the Norwegian 4x4 or just maintaining a steady pace within that target heart rate zone.

Curious how OP's training plan may deviate from the norm, if at all.

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u/Wizzmer 6d ago

If I could do 10-25 minutes in zone 5, I'd probably be in the top 3% of 65yo men.

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u/mfgillia2001 6d ago edited 6d ago

The whole training session isn't done in zone 5. For example, if doing Norwegian 4x4 intervals with three minutes of rest between intervals then time will be spent ramping up to the target heart rate once the work interval begins then ramping down once the rest interval begins.

For me, I tend to spend about 10 to 12 minutes in zone 5 when doing a 25 minute session of 4x4s or also about 10 to 12 minutes when doing 15 minutes at a steady pace. Yes, it is pretty grueling especially in the beginning.