Overview of VO2 Max and why it is important

1. VO2 Max:
What Is It?
How Is It Determined?
Why Does It Matter?

2. DEFINITION
The highest whole-body oxygen uptake achievable during
exercise that utilizes large muscle mass

3. *an individual, and intrinsic biological characteristic

4. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT
Best overall measure of cardiovascular fitness
Assumes to set upper limit of ATP production via
mitochondrial respiration(aerobic metabolism)
Isn’t the sole determining factor of aerobic performance -
not sufficient by itself

5. MEASURING VO2 MAX
Max stroke volume Max cardiac output

6. Stroke Volume is the amount of blood pumped from one
ventricle with each beat
*Calculation: end diastolic volume - end systolic volume
Cardiac Output (Q) is the amount of blood pumped
from one ventricle during a one minute interval

7. MEASUREMENT
*Wingate (cycle)
*Treadmill (running)
*Metabolic Cart (Korr)
*Canula,Tubes
The software in machines such as Korr’s CardioCoach computes the readings
using algorithm based on Fick equation

8. THE FICK EQUATION
VO2 max = HRmax x SVmax x a-vO2 diff max

9. WHY DO WE CARE?
Plenty of research equates improvement of cardiovascular
fitness with a decreased chance of heart disease
Training elite athletes requires fundamental grasp of their sport,
physiological demands, and how to meet them

10. APPLICATION
Intervals vs Steady State…
The argument (preference) continues