VO2 max (Maximal Oxygen Uptake)
Maximal Oxygen Uptake (VO2 max) is a measuring tool utilized by fitness and sports professionals to determine an athlete's capacity to sustain exercise.
V= Volume; O2= Dioxygen molecule; Max= Maximal
Maximal oxygen uptake helps define an athlete's aerobic endurance, which is a very important tool in helping design an effective training program. VO2 max refers to the maximum amount of oxygen that an individual can utilize during intense exercise. It is measured as "milliliters of oxygen used in one minute per kilogram of body weight."
There are different methods used in determining VO2 Max. There are many protocols used on treadmills, ergometers and other exercise equipment to accurately measure VO2 max. Essentially, one must be connected to a special computer and breathe into an apparatus that analyses exhaled air. The computer will analyze oxygen and carbon dioxide, as the athlete exercises. The athlete is connected to an ergometer (treadmill) on which the workload can be adjusted or modified. Expired air may be collected and volume measured via Douglas bags, Tissot tank, or measured by a turbine ventilometer.
The test begins slowly, then increases in intensity until the athlete can no longer continue testing. The athlete's nose will be plugged, he/she will breathe through a mouthpiece, connected to the metabolic analyzer, and he/she will wear a heart-rate monitor. The computer measures the volume, as well as the percentage of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the expired gas.
Personal Trainers
To perform an indirect VO2 Max test, simply have the subject walk one mile as fast as possible and note the amount of time it takes. Immediately after finishing the mile, take the subject's pulse.
The formula for calculating absolute VO2 is: VO2 (mL/min) = (HR x SV) x a-vO2. Heart rate is represented by the acronym HR in beats/min. Stroke volume is represented by SV, or the amount of blood the heart pumps in each beat. The phrase “a-vO2” is the difference between the oxygen in the muscle cells and the volume of oxygen that is released.
or
VO2 max (ml/kg/min) = 132.853 - 0.0769 (weight) - 0.3877 (age) + 6.3150 (sex) - 3.2649 (time) - 0.1565 (heart rate)
Weight is in pounds.
Age is in years.
Sex: male = 1, female = 0.
Time is expressed in minutes and 100ths.
Heart Rate is in beats per minute, taken at the end of the walk.
V= Volume; O2= Dioxygen molecule; Max= Maximal
Maximal oxygen uptake helps define an athlete's aerobic endurance, which is a very important tool in helping design an effective training program. VO2 max refers to the maximum amount of oxygen that an individual can utilize during intense exercise. It is measured as "milliliters of oxygen used in one minute per kilogram of body weight."
There are different methods used in determining VO2 Max. There are many protocols used on treadmills, ergometers and other exercise equipment to accurately measure VO2 max. Essentially, one must be connected to a special computer and breathe into an apparatus that analyses exhaled air. The computer will analyze oxygen and carbon dioxide, as the athlete exercises. The athlete is connected to an ergometer (treadmill) on which the workload can be adjusted or modified. Expired air may be collected and volume measured via Douglas bags, Tissot tank, or measured by a turbine ventilometer.
The test begins slowly, then increases in intensity until the athlete can no longer continue testing. The athlete's nose will be plugged, he/she will breathe through a mouthpiece, connected to the metabolic analyzer, and he/she will wear a heart-rate monitor. The computer measures the volume, as well as the percentage of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the expired gas.
Personal Trainers
To perform an indirect VO2 Max test, simply have the subject walk one mile as fast as possible and note the amount of time it takes. Immediately after finishing the mile, take the subject's pulse.
The formula for calculating absolute VO2 is: VO2 (mL/min) = (HR x SV) x a-vO2. Heart rate is represented by the acronym HR in beats/min. Stroke volume is represented by SV, or the amount of blood the heart pumps in each beat. The phrase “a-vO2” is the difference between the oxygen in the muscle cells and the volume of oxygen that is released.
or
VO2 max (ml/kg/min) = 132.853 - 0.0769 (weight) - 0.3877 (age) + 6.3150 (sex) - 3.2649 (time) - 0.1565 (heart rate)
Weight is in pounds.
Age is in years.
Sex: male = 1, female = 0.
Time is expressed in minutes and 100ths.
Heart Rate is in beats per minute, taken at the end of the walk.
