As a man who's turning 55 this coming december, I would just like to say...

[Catagory6]

i hit a new VO2max of 56 ml/kg/min today

that makes me in the 1 percentile of my age range

YEAY ME!

[wheelbuilder]

Congrats!

[stoney]

i hit a new VO2max of 56 ml/kg/min today

that makes me in the 1 percentile of my age range

YEAY ME!

Congrats! Since this a training forum, what does your weekly training schedule look like to hit an all time high VO2max? Did you recently lose some weight?

[Requiem84]

Well done!

Indeed, would be interesting to tell us how you managed to do this.

[eins4eins]

out of curiosity: is this lab tested or a figure from garmin?

[Requiem84]

out of curiosity: is this lab tested or a figure from garmin?

Good question, Garmin typically overestimates it.

BUT, does it really matter? Garmin bases the calculation on your weight and the power you can produce. Garmin doesn't know whether you actually increased your V02 max, or whether you simply became more efficient. Bottomline from an increased V02 max is that you are able to push more watts relative to your body weight.

So you either lose weight (which for most people is quite health), or you are able to produce more watts, or both. All 3 options are good news I'd say .

[eins4eins]

Calculation is not that simple. Its based on the relation between heart rate and power.

[Requiem84]

Calculation is not that simple. Its based on the relation between heart rate and power.

True, they assume that your aerobic fitness is improving if you can produce the same power with a lower heart rate, or a higher power with the same heart rate (thereby ignoring that your heart rate might actually stay low because you are fatigued, or because you are riding in the winter etc).

Nevertheless, if the conditions in which you have been riding are similar and you are not overly fatigued, it is a sign of improved aerobic fitness. Either because your aerobic capacity has improved (by virtue of increased mitochondrial density / better capacity to deliver oxygen to your muscles), or because you have increased your efficiency (by virtue of increased mitochondrial efficiency for example).

Regardless of what mechanism lies behind this, usually an improved Garmin V02 max means you are getting fitter. (even if the displayed V02 max value might be overstated).

[Catagory6]

its calculated by garmin, using a saris H2 in door trainer, and assioma pedals out doors

i do 2-3 hard rides per week, one of those are max intensity sprint intervals
the rest of the days are easy recovery

i have dropped quite a bit of weight
in the past 2-3 months i've gone from 152 down to 142

i've also read that the garmin estimates are very close to lab-tested results. within a point

[warthog101]

Well done to you!

[CarlosFerreiro]

I remember wondering how random the Garmin VO2 max number was and that I found a sport science paper saying it was actually fairly decent, but I don't remember how "decent" that was......

[Requiem84]

I remeber wondering how random the Garmin VO2 max number was and that I found a sport science paper saying it was actually fairly decent, but I don't remember how "decent" that was......

It's impossible to say how accurate it is. For some it will be accurate, for others less so.

The entire formula's behind it are simply based on average statistics. 'We assume an efficiency of (let's say) 22%, so in order to produce X amounts of watts we assume that you require X amount of oxygen'. Then Garmin sets a baseline for you V02 max and then Garmin looks at: 'oh, at 250 watts your heart rate used to be 90% of your maximum heart rate, whereas today it is 85% of your maximum heart rate'. Garmin then assumes again that your V02 max improved X% because you can do the same effort with a lower internal intensity.

For some people the above assumptions will be spot on (let's say within 3-4%). For others the assumptions in the above theoretical model will be vastly wrong because they are perhaps very efficient (25% instead of 22%). For others the outcome is also wrong because they have a single sided power meter and they happen to be stronger on the left, so the power number is inflated.

What I tried to say before, the absolute V02 number Garmin shows is irrelevant, if the number improves sustainably over time it means your fitness is increasing. And that is what matters.

[jwalther]

Timely topic as I (age 61) went through a laboratory VO2 Max public demonstration at a cycling conference yesterday. My Garmin estimated figure over the last year has ranged from 49 (post COVID in December) to 56 a couple of months ago after a stretch of hard riding coupled with a slight weight loss. I'm fully invested in the Garmin product universe, using Vector pedals, and Garmin HRM, scale, and head unit. Over that period the average figure was around 52.

Yesterday in the lab I measured 50.4, a little lower than my current Garmin measurement at 52. That's really close, as I suspect the lab figure was maybe a little low. I performed the test on a generic exercise bike, and was coming off of a respiratory bug and not quite back to 100%.

My takeaway-the Garmin figure is pretty darned accurate.

[Catagory6]

ok, for all you doubters and nay-sayers, i'll take donations to fund a lab test

[ms6073]

i have dropped quite a bit of weight
in the past 2-3 months i've gone from 152 down to 142

Wow, that is a considerable drop at your age. So not trying to be snarky, just genuine curiosity, and I understand if you don't want to answer, but is the weight loss from a healthier lifestyle and a good training regimen or are you also leveraging a Semaglutide based prescription?