How To Improve Your VO2 Max | VO2 Max Explained
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- Опубліковано 7 жов 2024
- Improving your VO2 max is a surefire way to improve your performance on the bike. Unfortunately however, increasing it involves some old fashioned hard work.
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There are a number of different ways to improve your VO2 max, from intense micro-intervals, to longer steady state efforts. Simon and Dan have got a few sessions to help you improve that vital VO2 max.
Let us know how you get on with these sessions in the comments below 👇
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What's your VO2 max? Let us know in the comments below 👇
April 2017 56.4 age 61
Quick question: If i do the Raceday effort turbo session by GCN will this be just as good to improve VO2 max?
Dec 2017, Vo2 73.2 at age 18
vo2 60 at age 38
I haven't done the clinic test, but according to different aproximate formulas, I should be around 55.
Being chased by a pack of angry stray dogs helps you increase VO2max as well. Happened to me this morning. The pain from a bite is worse than the pain from a sessions like these!
You can add a couple of them angry puppies on the hill climb as an extra motivation element.
My only KOM on Strava is courtesy of a passionate chase by 2 dogs
ForgottenKnight1 try a horde of angry bears
I was biten lots of times, even in my face by airdale. No disaster.
Happened to me multiple times. Worst case was Riding at night on a road and I thing 3 or 4 (It was dark and I did not dare look back to count XD) of them just chased the f out of me. It's amazing how long you can hold on to that level of output when you're in danger. It's like overclocking the CPU. XD
It would be great to hear about someone's evolution from their lower Max to the new/higher VO2 Max, and how long it took to achieve.
after doing a couple months of low heart rate training z1-2 only i increased from about 35 to about 50. didn't use this program though
@@spwebb7771 I noticed low heart training increases my VO2 max too
I got a lab Vo2 test done in January / Feb, I got a bad score of 40. My Vo2 test as of today is 57 Elite .
Low heart rate training was prescribed by the lab and it worked! Here’s a video of my initial result Vo2 Max Test Results - Smart Watch Vs Lab Test ua-cam.com/video/REnPB5JsDzU/v-deo.html
Can you all link the lower heart rate training you all used? My heart rate remains on higher side 90’s and my VO2 max is low. (Yes I have talked to my Dr.)
Workout 1 Micro Intervals
30 mins warm-up
40 secs at 120% FTP or at 5 min max effort
20 secs easy
Repeat this for 10 mins
Workout 2
4 mins at 120% FTP
4 mins easy
4 or 5 cycles of this
Workout 3
2 mins at 120% FTP
8 mins at FTP
10 mins recovery
2-3 cycles of this
How to do 120% ftp?
@@ugastronomie1237 120% ftp is your 5 minute max. The maximum effort you can hold for 5 minutes.
Workout 1 should say that the intervals are then repeated 2-3 times after a 10 minute easy section.
this is all in one traininng or every work out is diferrent training??
@@ΘοδωρηςΚαλλιογλου diff sessions
Not to diminish current 2022 GCN presenting team (all charming and watchable), but Si and Dan set a formidable standard.
"rest is important". I got that covered ;)
Yep, that one line wrecked my mag trainer session planned for tonight!
I'am a Viet Nam Vet . with some bad lungs from Agent Orange. Your training videos have helped me keep up a good pace in my training rides. Keep up the great work.
My VO2 max increased just by watching this video.
Just get pulled by dogs: Siberian dogs running in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race have VO2 max values as high as 240 mL/(kg·min).[26]
That's ridiculously high!
Ian Loughead They must not EPO test the dogs.
Its per kg so if you're lighter the VO2 max is higher
@@loriskaufmann9575 That's literally the opposite of the point of testing per kilogram. You test per kilo to account for differences in weight.
1:18
Si's smile when he made that dirty joke.. 🤣🤣🤣
Greg LeMond 'the Reno Rocket' he earned that nickname after whipping the best USA Senior 1 racers as a 15 and 16 year old during races in Ca one was the Cat's Hill Criterium in Los Gatos
Why am i even watching this.? I dont even have a way to measure my FTP, and i dont have a powermeter... And i dont even have a road bike
i have one hanging both tires flat Time magnesium clip ins and shoes too
Haa.
Because it’s a marker in life. One of those moments in the space time continuum that shows you where you are supposed to be in life rather than where you are. Go get a bike and get riding.
You can do it while running
@Owen Klingbeil why? I bought a mountain bike, then i realised i bike like 98% on-road so i sold it and got a road bike. Much better.
We need more of the extra takes at the end of the video to see your natural sides, goofups, n so on than the normal serious versions.. makes it fun to watch.. your videos are obviously the best .!! It's just a thought or maybe a suggestion.. cheers 👍✌:)
Thanks Brandon!
I do have a gas analyzer at home, multiple ones even. They always make a noise when I pass gas.
Are you referring to your wife (and other family members)? 🤣
Makes sense Marko
Since VO2max is oxygen consumption per kg body weight, you can increase your VO2max by shedding excess kilos - and that may be the easiest way to increase your VO2max.
When pros have a high VO2max it's because they shed all fat, as well as upper body muscle ... if you do other sports that make good use of your whole body your VO2max will be better, the same person often have a higher run VO2max than their bike VO2max.
This was really good. I used to be a swimmer, and in that sport intervals are different from cycling (in general). We'd do things like 100s on 1:10, which meant 100 yards hard, rest until 1:10 rolls around (i.e. 5-10 seconds), go again. Maybe do this 20 times. Then, do 200s on 2:30. Or, 50s on :35. Etc. An easy day would be 100s on 1:30. So when I was fastest on the bike I and a friend did what I called "swimming intervals" doing laps in an empty parking lot - X laps on Y time, with brief (10-30 seconds) rest between. I was never a good racer, but when doing lots of these workouts, I could race 60 minute criteriums with good racers and be in the mix at the end.
Thanks for this information!
I need to work back on getting back there again.
I have no stamina or endurance.
I got lazy.
I love the motivation
I currently do the 4x4 , second segment mentioned to increase my VO2 max. I absolutely dread that day. I call it managing the misery. I have however increased the segments from 3 to 5. The first few times trying to maintain 120% FTP for 4 minutes made me feel like my heart was going to burst out of my chest. I could only complete 3 of the segments at total KJ’s of 368. After 4 months of this once a week I’ve increased the segments to 5 and I am now at almost 500 KJ’s for the ride. It’s a bitch!!! Thank you for the video!
I'm still stuck on FTP being 'File Transfer Protocol'
Foiled Twisted Pair
I do believe it’s an N.W.A song.
Indeed, because these days you should switch to SFTP (SSH) or FTPS (TLS), while doing said intervals of course.
Free To Play
Functional treshold power
I did intervals for the second time in my life, I've been doing it for a couple of months, the power meter appeared a week ago. I decided to do an interval training 5 minutes 120% FTP, 5 minutes of rest, did 7 intervals. When I told a friend who has been doing road sports since childhood, he said that I was crazy, and that this was a very cool result. And I thought that I failed the training, since I planned to do 10 intervals
Tabata - 170% of your VO2 max, with a ten second recovery, until collapse - works, and takes five minutes. But very few people can do the 170% on a bike - your legs won't take it. You need to run uphill, probably on a treadmill.
great Vid. some sessions I will have to incorporate. I test once often more per year and the last full physiological test I undertook saw 76.5 for my VO2 Max. I think everyone should get a full test and then work on the results with training and then try and improve on the numbers
I was excited when I saw that mobile v02 master!
I was all "yeah, I think I'd pay if that if under $300."
$5000 USD!!!
Vo2 max o man it's a long time ago 67 I think but your spot on you two training is the best way to improve every thing that has to do with O2. Pat from Belgium 🚲
Awesome video with some terrific suggestions for training. I would love to see you record these as trainer sessions!
What is FTP? You men and women on Global Cycling Network are amazing! Thanks for all your tips.
I not know my FTP but I train as hard as I can. Thanks for your good information about FTP GCN!
Thanks for your feedback Petinka! Keep up the training 👍
Love the outtakes at the end. It's great to see how much you guys enjoy what your doing!
Great microphones
I don't know about VO2max, but I definitely increased my rib cage size and upper chest measurement after three years of modest cycling 40 min per day 7 days a week. The way I know is that with a constant waist size (32") my button up shirts would no longer button in the middle to top region. I do know that I was able to swim 164 feet underwater for repeats (an olympic pool). Good video guys!
Quite unusual as normally people who get into regular cycling observe a loss of muscle mass around the chest area and on the arms.
Very well explained guys 👍🏼
The factor you have not mentioned in regard to VO2 max is age! I am 66 years old and when tested 18 months ago in a lab had a VO2 max of 50mL/kg/min. The average value mentioned in your video was for a much younger person. The average for my age would be somewhere around 27mL/kg/min. It also seems that VO2 max varies with sport. My cycling VO2 max is higher than my VO2 max when running!
Mine was 62 (proper test uni lab, Douglas bags). But for cyclists per kg needs to be adjusted. Total (per kg times total kg) is what matters on the flat, and on hills you need to allow for the weight of the bike, which is a constant. Two 70ml riders, the heavier has the advantage up a hill. Their "adjusted VO2 max - allowing for the bike - is higher.
there are 2 consecutive blocks in my neighborhood that are angled like 35°, would those be safe to ride a bike up? are they too steep? what kind of workout could be done on them?
awesome video, definitely going to add these interval sessions to my training!
doing cross country skiskating intervals during the winter season... we'll see how this pays off once the roads thaw out...
What a beautiful scenery 😆
GNC simply rocks! Greetings from Colombia! Will try this. I think i can improve ;-)
working for the gcn is a dreamjob
recorded 70.2 on a run vo2 test and 66.4 on the bike
My fitbit estimates mine at 41. Trying to improve everyday.
Don't worry Dan, you are real clean pro!
couple of things here; recent research has shown an individual's VO2 max to be (on average) ~80% determined by your genetic makeup and 20% trainable. If you want to improve it, good luck, it'll take literal years of training to see small improvement. Start early.
Secondly, the measurement with units of mL per kg of body mass per minute is relative VO2 max. Absolute VO2 max is measured in L/min. There's a difference.
Last week I ran 11 repeats of a 40 m tall hill. Steep enough that I was staggering at the end and I was gasping at the top.
My resting heart rate has decreased by 5 bpm. So I think that means I have increased my VO2 max. I am able to workout at a level and I am not gasping for air.
@@daniellongstaff3408 that in no way means you've increased your VO2 max. It simply means your cardiac efficiency has increased.
@@respectablebogan3276 complete fake news according to studies it is closer to 50% genetically determined meaning it is significantly trainable as well as this you absolute t3sti head the studies have focused on high impact interval training which is inefficient due to the almost perfect correlation between training volume and cardiac output
22' and 23' TDF winner Jonas Vingegaard has the 2nd highest VO2 max = 97 ever registered among all athletes across all sports.
Best way to improve VO2 max - pick the right parents!
Bad genetics is the excuse people use to not bother exercising.
Jack Matthews True but it was also just a joke.
T Alakiu-Marquis ok
Nope! Pick the right diet! 😉
The first time I was tested for VO Max, I remember them telling me that I was pulling-in way more air/oxygen the I could process.
So I said, "What you're telling me is that I'm just a Big Suck, right?" LOL ;-)
I've been doing hard long intervals and at-the-limit threshold efforts on the Wattbike for years, and it can begin to grate on you. 410 kcals in 20 minutes, or repeated 2 minute 45kph efforts with one minute recovery, just wrecks me and I stink of ammonia. So yesterday I did an old workout that seems to build the legs without the same misery. Forty seconds very easy then twenty at 500 watts, or just over. 309 kcals in 20 minutes, but they're nearly all being done during the six minutes and forty seconds. So it's over 2,500 kcal per hour rate for the efforts! But the total cardiovascular load is manageable. So your legs are busted, but at least you're not cooked. A welcome respite.
Absolutely great video guys!
Thank you for the video. This is very very helpful
Could you please explain why exactly are these intervals effective? Does it improve mitochondria? How? Thanks
I use the BreatheEasy Lung Expander to keep my oxygen saturation max’d out. It truly transformed my breathing. It enabled me to get back into strenuous exercise with them increased my VO2 max even further. I got mine from Amazon for about $20 on sale.
My FTP 357W and Vo2 Max is 66ml/kg...... The Vo2 reading is not a sign of fitness but a good indicator of endurance potential
45 is not average. It's actually excellent.
Lol dont lie
greg lemond was 91 , bernal is 90 . 65 plus is excellent ding dong
Great video! I'll be watching this again!
What is ML/KG/MIN I hear this mentioned in the videos recently
Nice Vo2 max
Good video. If you have a smart trainer there are also lots of good workouts on Zwift for helping VO2 max. The McCarthy Special is one I "like".
MCarthy Special:
10 mins gradual warm up @ 30% to 70% FTP
3 x 3min steps starting @ 100% FTP, up to 125% FTP.
9 mins recovery @ 63% FTP
Repeat two more times.
Total workout 1 hour.
Make sure you have an empty stomach!
I went from using my right hand at night to left. And is hard. But I think is increasing
you guys are hurting my head!
Love seeing the Egan Bernal shout out in this before he blew up
another amazingh video!!!thank you!!!!
if one want to increase power strength, raw power, what intervals is smartest to train when? 30-40 seconds off and on? but how long easy riding between? I like to learn sprinting... please make a Sprinting interval training video
Just found this whilst looking for training vids! Is that Lloydy actually on a bike?? Surely not!
Makes me want to know the VO2 max of all the GCN presenters and Matt
I am a runner, there are ways to increase vo2 max for runners. I feel that I should try cycling to increase vo2 max since there will be less impact which is good.
Yes that would really benefit your fitness and cross training
This is Gran Canaria. GC-200, I guess. I just came from there two weeks ago. One of the best places for cyclists.
How is this video not linked to your training videos? I just did the 40-20 session on Tuesday and I still regret it :D
+justin flynn short term regret/pain, long term benefit? Good to hear the workout videos are doing their job!
Exactly. Browsing the training videos now for this afternoons session. Thank you for the videos.
Ty for this awesome info.
But how do you keep track of your progress? How do you find out, when getting faster over time, whether your VO2 max improved, or your FTP, or your muscle power used for acceleration, or your position got more aero, or all improvements are related to weight loss in response to increased training/reduced beer time?
I guess it doesnt really Matter as Long as you improve continuosly ?
How would this pertain to running and rowing?
Last year mine was 65, gave up smoking gone down to 61. Have put on 10kg of muscle mass though
Great video
Valuable lesson....
You dont really need to dope to increase your vo2max....but its gonna be hard.
....the choice is up to you
Just finished my 4’x4 intervals on wahoo kickr @ 270 watt , yep it hurts 💪
I do those 4min with 4 min rest session as a build up in the last few weeks to my criterium races. They hurt. A lot
and are they work? Can you feel the difference?
I feel like they work. They seem to make me able to suffer more and be able to go faster chasing breaks or attacking
useful
Kilian Jornet also recorded 92vo2max
My V02 max was measured at 27 and 60 on the same day in that order using two different methods. From looking into the subject and thinking deeply I think my rating is about 45, I can let fly in short bursts but don't have much stamina for massive efforts. I do spinning in winter and get up to 200 rpm but I still get massively erratic V02 max readings. One time after a mammoth session which I thought had been easy, I got 33 and after one session struggling with the same things I got 48. Garmin syncs with the HeadUp app and it gives me about 40 but I only wear my Garmin for sport so it doesn't have resting HR data. At least, it thinks it does but it gives me 75 when my waking HR is about 50. Sorry about that endless moan, honestly, I want to get mine to 60, but if I believe the stats so far, I am either already there or about 40 short.
In this video I perform a Vo2max test myself and explain my values and different factors important for your vo2max!
ua-cam.com/video/JyFZqv7GgwU/v-deo.html
check it out!!
Guys please start mentioning the locations, you always have me analyzing every pixel of the screen trying to figure out where you are. Is that Tenerife?
no
I don't train for what I cannot measure readily :)
For me it is hiit all the way... Basically... Just go max until you cannot hold it any longer. Typically it is less than a minute.
Not sure about others but it increases my max heart rate that is now 187 from 165 when I started exercise about a year back. And it increase how long I can keep it for hours. Now that heart beat is around 140 on average over 2 hours and I know I can keep it more. Unfortunately I don't have level road and thus I cannot measure ftp. But I suppose it is 140 bpm.
Mind that I am saying that instead of working with ftp... Work on hiit and then see what is ftp. If ftp has increased then you are good.
are burpee good?
2 years ago when I trained much less than now a days I did a proper vo2max test and back then I would have the same vo2max as Thibaut Pinot if I weighed as much as him which is crazy in itself. But I weigh 89kg and would not possible be able to get beneath 76kg in the most extreme cases. That's makes all the difference. Then there's another very big thing to note which is that my absolute power numbers above 5 minutes can't possibly match Pinot's. If we measure watts per kg I'm absolutely fckd.
Im anaemic and did a VO2 max test last week. Came out at 53ml/kg/min; gutted really, don't reckon it'll increase much because of my physiology either. I've been cycling in a club for 1 year. My peak power output on the ramp test was 330 watts and i weigh 74kg
Use your legs, not your arms. ;-)
That description is one of the longest I've seen 😂😂
Hi GCN I really love your videos and everything I achieved in road cycling is because of ya'll. However, I do have a request. Can you put your own subtile?(not auto generated) because I love your accent but it's hard to cope up to what you're saying especially for those who's English is their 3rd language (me) Thank you :)
Anyone agree?
I checked my VO2 on my fitbit and it was between 47-51 ml/kg. I do seem to be above average.
Good old hard trainin and the rite food and few hard intervals !! If wee put a hours hard work in few times a week that should be ok , to be honest think there's to muc technology and people are relying on gimmicks!
3:38 my threshold is quite low but in a 2 min sprint I can reach 980% of my threshold power
Well I was going to rest tonight but now I wanna jump on the trainer?!
Rest is important as well. :)
Rest is definitely very important, you don't want to risk overtaining
“Only a 69 VO2 max”? >65 is out of this world, son!
vậy nếu muốn đạp công suất hơn thì mình nên tập zone nào thường xuyên vậy ạ
It would be nice if you show the numbers for heart rate users
Greats video as always guys. One question though. I know its very different for everybody but with all of these different workouts, how often should the average cyclist who wants to improve their all round ability do this workout?
Great question. Dan said "part of your overall training," but more than once per week seems difficult.
+Matt Rus that's a good question Matt. It's going to depend on your other commitments around training, racing, life etc., but no more than 1-2 times per week should suffice.
Thanks for the reply! As someone who commutes every day, it seems that 2 turbo sessions and one long weekend ride are the maximum i will ever manage for training. And with so many workout videos to choose from its hard to know which ones to do and how often! Maybe a question for #askgcanything
When I was commuting I would add a couple sets of intervals into my commute one or 2 times per week. It really helped and I noticed a consistent lowering of my commute times plus more fun, as I was in better shape. for weekend rides when I could get them in.
It's always said that rest is important, but no-one ever specifies exactly how much, or rather, how many workouts are optimal a week, with how many days off. I work out 10 times a week on average, around half of those are rides, with usually 1 or 2 days of doing nothing, but I've never been sure if that's the best balance.
my $20 usd xiaomi band mi 4 or huawei honor band 5 can measure VO2 max and the last includes SPO2 too
Many in science say that vo2max cannot be improved dramatically... or at least only very little, and that it is more depending on ones genes... despite I wont give up at least trying it 😂
It really can depend person to person, but even if you can't raise your VO2 max by very much, these sessions are really going to help improve your power from around 3-20 minutes. Keep it up!
no need to tell me ;) I experienced this myself, but as you guys said: it IS indeed some good old school suffering at it's best, although IMO the hardest intervals to do are the anaerobic between 30-120sec, high acid level & purest pain :D
Height and sex determines lung volume so there is a finite volume you can move. Overall conditioning can improve the strength and excursion of your diaphragm so it's all about efficiency during workloading.
@@gcn have just watched your increase vo2max vid, what I see from the work you have suggested is how to improve working at or close to mvo2. This is different to improving mvo2max. If you want to really improve mvo2max then you have to train at the point where oxygen is being used most, and where the breathing and heart are being used most efficiently. This is generally at an intensity where the contraction strength and heart rate combined work the heart at approx 80% of its max cardiac output, not of maximal heart rate. Working at mvo2max or within 5%of it, means the actual extraction of oxygen is actually reducing not increasing. So the efficiency of extraction is not being improved. Work g at the level I have suggested above means that o2 and Co2 transfer across the alveola membrane can be done at near maximal capability whereas if an athlete works at a higher intensity this exchange can be limited by blood flow rates that do not allow complete gasious exchange. This can the also limit the heart output, as it gets its oxygen at a slightly reduced level, so cannot work at its maximal capacity at maximal heart rates. So controlling the intensity to meet these points can bring about a large increase in mvo2max in the ranges of 10 to 30ml/kg/min.... Where improving the ability to work at mvo2max can only be improved by a short time period, obviously individual variability occurs. Emma Swanwick, ek.swanwick@gmail.com
I lived by the credo that you can train anything but height.
I have no clue what my VO2 Max is and I wont have any idea if ever. but I have been doing 10-14 mile 4% grade hill by my house as hard as I can at least 1 time a week.
Which Place is this where you guys are cycling ................... , practicing in such a nice background and fresh air will certainly increase VO2 max
We're not gonna talk about the cameraman's speed doe?
Don't forget the lactate threshold.
I remember that, in an old video, Si was tested, and he came away with a better VO2 (IIRC) when he spun at a lower RPM for the same speed. I've taken this to heart, to a degree, since my max heart rate on any given 44-mile group ride seems to be 165 bpm. This is in stark contrast to the riders about my age (older and younger) and somewhat ahead to equal of my ability, where they seem to max out at 188 bpm for the same rides, pulling the same amount. I just can't get my heart up there - but I have found that I don't go into over-load breathing (needing so much O2 that I get dropped) if I cycle at the same speeds, but a lower crank RPM (compared to the group).
15 years ago I swear I have a very fast and smooth cadence that worked. A fast cadence now doesn't seem to work at all.
+David Hanny thanks for commenting David; that's really interesting to read and find out how you're getting on after watching that video. Thanks again!
I think there is something to your theory. My heart rate is similar, and I do better with a lower cadence. Also, like Si, I sweat profusely when working hard, much more than others around me. I wonder if there is a correlation?
This correlates with my experience as an older rider. I've been testing my response to steady power loads using a smart trainer by varying my cadence and also my breath rate. Cadences in the low 80's and down to the mid 60's are consistently easier to maintain as fatigue mounts than the commonly prescribed 90 to 100+ cadences for threshold efforts. Both perceived effort and heart rate bear this out. As mentioned, breath rate can also be a factor, and I've found that slower deeper breaths will typically bring my heart rate down a few beats at threshold power whilst maintaining a constant cadence.
Isn’t that because lower cadences use more of your muscle strength and less of your cardiovascular system? I think what works best depends somewhat on your body type, not a one sized fits all approach. For me, I only weigh 65 kg (144 lbs), so higher cadence and higher heart rate is how I can produce the same wattage/speed as bigger guys.
I'm a "middle aged" 60kg really skinny guy, FTP around 220 (3.6w/kg) last time I tested, and I find it much easier (perceived effort) to keep my cadence in the 85-110 range then lower. My HR doesn't vary by all that much if I was to do the same workout at 60-85 or 85-110, but the leg fatigue / lactic acid build up is a lot worse at 60-85 RPMs then at higher cadence for me. So I'm all about spinning if I can.
I don't know if matters, but my resting HR is about 42, and it's actually very difficult for me to get my max HR into what would be considered Zone 5 for my age. I have to be doing "I think I need to barf" type of workouts to get it there.
So I think everyone is different in this regard.
Newish Garmins make a guesstimate for VO2 Max if you have a powermeter. How close is this to a proper measurement? Maybe someone here tried both.
Norwegian cyclist Oskar Svendsen holds the record at 97.5 (ml/kg/min).
however Bjørn Dæhlie measured at 96 mL/(kg·min) out of season, so it's likely his peak value would have been higher. Also he's a cross country skier not a biker, which may help him out on the VO2 max side, by having far more muscles active at any one time than a biker.
The above is per Wiki (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VO2_max#Levels)
I was myself a cross country skier for a few years, I'm norwegian therefore obsessed with mentioning our few accomplishments, and would state that Dæhlie's potentional VO2 max is less impressing than a 18 year old cyclist whom basically only use their legs.
Anders Skeie good job on saying what he said in other words:p
That's what I do, some say I'm worse than Michael Owen. Did you feel silly when you basically read the same thing twice?
Anders Skeie No, why would I?