VO2 Max: Biological Age and Performance Analysis
What does a VO2 Max Biological Age & Performance Analysis measure and how does it aid my health and performance?
With a VO2 Max and Biological Age and Performance Analysis, you can see, among other things, your Vo2 Max, biological age, accurate heart rate zones, and the fuel your body uses in each heart rate zone. Therefore, if you want to maximize your performance, improve your longevity, lose weight or simply live a healthier life then a VO2 Max and Biological Age and Performance Analysis offers you the crucial information you need to meet your objective. By changing your approach to your goal, based on the recommendations in the report, you can better assess your progress and achieve your goal more easily.
What is VO2 max and what does it tell you?
VO2 max is an objective way to tell just how fit you are. A high VO2 max correlates to better physical fitness and is associated with a lower risk for cardiovascular disease and increased longevity. And if you know your VO2 max, you can use it as a tool to help you exercise more efficiently.
VO2 Max is recognized as the biggest predictor of Longevity
VO2 Max measures how much oxygen your body can use during intense exercise and is a strong predictor of how long you’ll live. Research shows that people with higher VO₂ max levels have a lower risk of dying from any cause. For example, one study found that every 1 mL/kg/min increase in VO₂ max cuts the risk of death by 9%. Another large study revealed that people with high cardiorespiratory fitness had a 30% lower chance of dying compared to those with low fitness levels.
These findings highlight the strong connection between VO₂ max and how long you might live. As we age, VO₂ max drops by about 10% every decade after turning 30. However, endurance and strength training can slow this decline, significantly improving VO₂ max and overall health. Endurance-trained older adults can maintain aerobic capacities much higher than their untrained peers, contributing to lower risks of disability and longer, healthier lives.
What does VO2 Max say about your Cardio Fitness
How Does VO2 Max Help with Disease Prevention?
Improving VO₂ max plays a significant role in disease prevention:
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Cardiovascular Health: A higher VO₂ max is linked to better heart health, lowering the risk of heart disease and supporting long-term wellness.
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Metabolic Health and Longevity: Elevated VO₂ max contributes to better metabolic health by enhancing insulin sensitivity and managing body weight. This improvement is health-focused and longevity-promoting, as it lowers the risk of metabolic disorders like type 2 diabetes.
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Cognitive Decline: Maintaining a high VO₂ max is associated with a reduced risk of cognitive decline. Research indicates that individuals with higher cardiorespiratory fitness experience slower rates of mental deterioration, supporting better brain health and function.
By enhancing VO₂ max through regular physical activity, individuals can improve cardiovascular health, support metabolic function, and protect against cognitive decline, leading to a longer, healthier life.
Key Takeaways
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VO₂ max is a key predictor of longevity, with higher levels linked to lower mortality risk.
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Regular exercise, like HIIT for young adults and aerobic training for older adults, slows VO₂ max decline with age.
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Proper nutrition and tracking VO₂ max using wearables enhance cardiovascular health and support healthy aging.
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Maintaining a high VO₂ max helps prevent heart disease, manage body weight, and reduce cognitive decline.
What additional information do I get from the test?
This is the overview page. Each of these metrics has an in depth page that shows how you can improve your results through Exercise, Nutrition and Lifestyle
VO2 Peak
What it shows
VO2peak shows the maximum amount of oxygen your body can absorb. It’s an umbrella metric of your overall
fitness as it represents the combined ability of your heart, lungs, and cells to funnel and consume oxygen.
Why it’s important to track
VO2peak is important to track because it is one of the best predictors of overall health, longevity, and athletic
performance. The higher the VO2peak, the fitter your cardiorespiratory system is, the lower the risk of developing
chronic disease, and the higher the likelihood of longevity. Factors that can positively affect VO2peak are regular
cardio and/or interval training, adequate sleep, and a healthy diet. Conversely, factors that negatively affect
VO2peak are cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, uncontrolled stress, smoking, and alcohol
overconsumption.
Ventilation Efficiency
What it shows
Ventilation efficiency indicates your lungs’ ability to absorb oxygen and clear carbon dioxide. It is calculated by the
ratio of the total amount of air exchange between your lungs and the environment (VE) over the exhaled carbon
dioxide volume (VCO2).
Why it’s important to track
Ventilation efficiency is important to track as it can monitor the efficiency with which your lungs exchange oxygen
and carbon dioxide with the environment. A high score may indicate normal lung function, whereas a low score may
indicate the presence of internal lung inflammation that is blocking normal oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange.
Factors that can positively affect it include regular cardio training, breathwork, and a healthy body weight. Negative
factors include a cold, toxic infection, or lung disease such as COPD, asthma, or sleep apnea.
Breathing Cordination
What it shows
Breathing coordination shows your ability to maintain regular and efficient breathing across the entire spectrum of
exercise intensities. It is a measure of how efficiently you can coordinate your respiratory muscles and diaphragm.
Why it’s important to track
Breathing coordination is important to track as it can regulate your nervous system activation and oxygenation
levels across the entire body. How fast and deep you breathe can profoundly regulate the activation of your
sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system as well as regulate the levels of carbon dioxide in your blood.
Fast, shallow, and erratic breathing triggers the activation of the sympathetic nervous system and lowers carbon
dioxide levels in the blood, which in turn lowers whole-body oxygenation. Slower, steady, and regular breathing has
the opposite effect. Factors that can positively affect breathing coordination are regular exercise and breathwork,
whereas negative factors include poor ventilation efficiency, mental health disorders, or stress.
High Intensity Performance
What it shows
High-intensity Performance is calculated by assessing how well the lungs supply oxygen and how well the heart
pumps it into the body across all exercise intensities during a VO2 max test. This is reflected by two metrics, namely,
O2pulse, a metric reflecting the oxygen pumped in every heartbeat, and VO2/BF, a metric reflecting the oxygen
absorbed per breath cycle.
Why it’s important to track
A high-intensity performance is important for your wellness and performance because having a high and
continuously increasing O2 Pulse, and VO2/BF throughout high exercise intensities will ensure sufficient oxygen
delivery to your working muscles. This will, in turn, provide your body remains predominantly in the aerobic state
when exercising at high intensities, thus allowing you to train at intensities where you can increase your VO2 max
and burn many calories while minimizing fatigue buildup.
Oxygen Circulation
What it shows
Oxygen circulation indicates your heart’s ability to pump oxygen-rich blood into your body. It is calculated based on
O2pulse, a metric derived by dividing your overall oxygen consumption (VO2) by heart rate (HR). When your heart
functions normally, your overall oxygen uptake increases proportionally to your heart rate.
Why it’s important to track
Oxygen circulation is important to track because it may indicate the presence of cardiovascular deconditioning and
your heart’s inability to pump oxygen-rich blood through the body. A plateauing or decline in O2pulse as exercise
intensity increases indicates that your heart is beating more inefficiently and thus needs to complete more cycles to
pump the oxygen your body needs. This may indicate the presence of cardiovascular disease and should be
evaluated by a medical professional. Factors that can positively affect oxygen circulation are regular cardio training,
a healthy diet, and maintaining a healthy body weight. Conversely, factors that negatively affect oxygen circulation
are cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and smoking.
Metabolic Rate
What it shows
Metabolic Rate shows how fast or slow your metabolism is during light movement. In other words, it shows whether
your body is burning more or fewer calories than predicted based on your weight, gender, age, and height during
regular movements. The greater the number of calories burnt, the higher the metabolic rate score.
Why it’s important to track
Metabolic rate is important to track as it indicates your predisposition for weight loss or weight gain. A high
metabolic rate during regular movement is essential for weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight, as it ensures
you burn enough calories to cover a normal calorie intake. On the contrary, when your metabolic rate drops, your
body burns fewer calories, making it more likely to gain weight if you continue to eat as you did before. Factors that
can positively affect metabolic rate are resistance exercise, adequate sleep, and sufficient dietary protein intake.
Conversely, negative factors include yo-yo dieting, hormonal dysregulation, extreme dieting, and excessive cardio
training.
Fat-Burning Efficiency
What it shows
Fat-burning Efficiency shows your cells’ ability to use fat as a fuel source and is a hallmark of mitochondria and
cellular function. As exercise intensity increases, cells transition from burning predominantly fats to burning
predominantly carbs. The later this transition happens, the more fat-adapted you are and the fitter your
mitochondria and cells are. High reliance on fat as a fuel source is also an indication of metabolic flexibility, that is,
your ability to rapidly switch between fat and carbohydrate burn based on the metabolic demand (e.g., low-intensity
rest vs. high-intensity exercise, etc.). High metabolic flexibility ensures you can convert your food into useful energy
instead of storing it as fat.
Why it’s important to track
Fat-burning Efficiency is important to track since the more your cells rely on fat as a fuel source during exercise, the
longer you can remain in the aerobic state before you hit metabolic fatigue. Moreover, fat-burning efficiency is one
of the most powerful indicators of cellular and mitochondria fitness and strongly correlates with longevity and
overall health. Sufficient low-intensity cardio training is essential for maintaining high fat-burning efficiency.
Conversely, factors that negatively affect fat-burning efficiency are lack of training, overtraining, and consumption
of processed foods
Movement Economy
What it shows
Movement Economy shows how many calories you burn when moving. The fewer calories you burn, the more
economical you are, which may indicate a metabolic slowdown or the result of sustained cardio training
Why it’s important to track
Movement Economy is important to track for both weight loss and performance optimization. A high movement
economy indicates you burn fewer calories when moving, which may indicate a metabolic slowdown, thus
preventing successful weight loss. On the contrary, it is desirable if you’re aiming to compete in an endurance event
where being economical equates to less fatigue buildup and better performance. For regular people, a reduction in
movement economy may indicate an increase in metabolism, which is favorable for weight loss. For athletes
undergoing training, it may reflect the effects of overtraining and should be seen as a sign to reduce training loads.
Recovery Capacity
What it showsWhat it shows
Recovery capacity shows your ability to recover efficiently from physical exercise. The faster the heart rate and
carbon dioxide volume levels (VCO2) return to resting values during the first two minutes following the peak intensity
of the test, the higher your ability to recover fast between exercise sessions.
Why it’s important to track
Recovery Capacity is important to track because it can predict chronic fatigue and overtraining syndrome that can
compromise exercise gains and overall health. The higher your recovery capacity, the greater your body’s ability to
recover between workout sessions, as well as the longer and more efficiently you can exercise, maximizing the
output of your workouts and limiting injury risk. Factors that can positively affect recovery capacity are zone 2
training, adequate sleep, and sufficient dietary protein intake. Negative factors include chronic conditions, extreme
dieting, or excessive training.
Metabolic Flexibility
What it shows
Metabolic flexibility indicates your ability to rapidly switch between fat and carbohydrate metabolism based on
metabolic demand. Our body may need to switch from burning predominantly fats to carbohydrates or vice versa
for several reasons, including transitioning between exercise intensities or going from a fasted to a fed state. The
faster and more efficient this transition between fuel sources, the more metabolically flexible you are.
Why it’s important to track
Metabolic flexibility is an indicator of mitochondrial function and a regulator of how the food you consume is used.
The more metabolically flexible you are, the more able you can transition between fats and carbohydrates as fuel
sources, and the better you can convert the food into energy instead of storing it as fat. Therefore, metabolic
flexibility is a key protector against fat accumulation and metabolic syndrome. Factors that can positively affect
metabolic flexibility are regular exercise, a healthy body weight, adequate sleep, and sunlight exposure. Conversely,
factors that negatively affect metabolic flexibility are processed food consumption, eating big meals close to
bedtime, and lack of low-intensity exercise.
Biological Age
We estimate your biological age based on your VO2 max, fat-burning efficiency, and metabolic rate. According to the American Heart Association, your cardio-respiratory fitness (VO2 max), is the best predictor of how long and well you will live. High fat-burning efficiency is equivalent to high cellular fitness, essential for preventing metabolic dysfunction and weight gain. Lastly, a high metabolic rate is crucial for long-term wellness as it is the most effective shield against weight gain, the number one driver behind the most dangerous health related issues
VO2 Max Peak
This black dot shows your measured VO2 peak. The dotted lines depict the different categories of your Aerobic Capacity score, i.e. whether your score is excellent or very poor based on your VO2 peak
Accurate Heart Rate Zones
Get better results by training in your bodies accurate heart rate zones. Each of the 5 HRM Zones effect your body differently.
Zone 1: Recovery
Zone 2: Enhances fat burning efficiency and good cellular condition , Improves recovery capacity
Zone 3: Improves heart fitness
Zone 4: Increases fatigue threshold, Increases anaerobic threshold, Improves VO2max
Zone 5: Improves VO2max, Enhances fat burning efficiency and good cellular condition , Increases fatigue threshold
As an example: if your trying to lose weight you want to be in Zone 2 where you burn the highest percentage of fat for fueling your body.
Energy consumption & fueling
This chart shows you how many calories per minute you are burning based on the HRM Zone you're training in. It also shows you what percentage of Carbohydrates and Fats you are burning. If you're an endurance athlete this is invaluable information to help you fuel correctly based on what HRM Zone you are in. As you can see in the Chart that Zone 2 is best fat burning HRM Zone for weight loss. If you are trying to lose weight and are in HRM Zone 3 you could be burning 50% or more less fat than in Zone 2.
Training targeting your test results
This section of the test results breaks down what percentage of your exercise should be Resistance Training, Interval Training or Interval Training to improve your overall test results.
Thresholds
Fat-Max Τhe exercise intensity where a person burns the most amount of fat.
Ventilatory Threshold 1 (VT1) The exercise intensity at which physical activity starts to be considered a workout.
VO2 Peak The maximum oxygen consumption in milliliters per kilogram per minute (ml/min/kg) of body weight achieved during the test.
Ventilatory Threshold 2 (VT2) or anaerobic threshold) The exercise intensity at which the body transitions into Zone 5 where anaerobic metabolism becomes a large part of the body’s energy generation. In several studies this is also where Lactate Threshold happens.
