10 Ways to Increase Your VO2 Max

When it comes to exercise, it doesn't get easier; you get stronger.

But maybe both of those things are true. The longer and harder you exercise, the more efficient your body becomes. These physiological changes happen within your heart, lungs, muscles and bones.

And one of the ways to measure these changes is by measuring your VO2 max. VO2 max is one of the best indicators of cardiovascular fitness and sports performance. And when you improve VO2 max, any aerobic activity you do starts to feel easier, because you got stronger.

But how do you make these improvements? We've got everything you need to know about VO2 max and the most effective ways to increase it.

What is VO2 max?

First things first. What is VO2 max? Let's break down the term: "V" stands for volume, "O2" represents oxygen and "max" refers to maximum. Therefore, VO2 max is the maximal amount of oxygen you can breathe in and use for energy during intense exercise.

VO2 max can be assessed in two ways:

• Absolute VO2 max

  —This is the total, or absolute, volume of oxygen the body can consume over a specific amount of time. Expressed as liters per minute (L/min), absolute VO2 max is used to estimate the total calories burned during an activity. While this is a useful metric, it is not an individualized measurement.

• Relative VO2 max

  —Relative VO2 max measures your absolute VO2 max divided by your weight in kilograms. By adding body weight to the equation, relative VO2 max allows for comparison between individuals of different body sizes. This provides more insight when assessing overall performance. Relative VO2 max is expressed as milliliters per kilogram per minute (mL/kg/min).

What should my VO2 max be?

This number depends on many different factors, including age, gender, weight, activity level and genetics, meaning there probably isn't one "perfect" number to shoot for. But what you can do is take steps to increase it. Higher is better!

How can I measure my VO2 max accurately?

The most accurate way to measure VO2 max is in a controlled environment, like a medical lab or sports training facility. The test typically involves running on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike for 10-20 minutes, with the intensity gradually increasing until you reach your maximum effort.

While you exercise, you wear a heart rate monitor and training mask. The mask measures the amount of oxygen you inhale and the carbon dioxide you exhale. These numbers help determine the maximal amount of oxygen you use during maximum-intensity exercise.

Is there a simpler way to measure VO2 max? Yes! Some wearable devices provide VO2 max estimates, among many other performance metrics. The Apple Watch Series 3 or later will calculate an estimated VO2 max during an outdoor run, outdoor walk or even during a hiking workout.

Generally, these devices estimate VO2 max based on your heart rate response during the workout, as well as your age, sex, height and weight. Keep in mind these are estimates, and a lab is still the most accurate way to test VO2 max.

Can I improve my VO2 max?

Yes. There are three main factors that influence your VO2 max:

• The amount of blood your heart can pump with each heartbeat (stroke volume)
• The amount of oxygen your blood vessels can transport to your muscles
• The amount of oxygen your muscles can extract from the blood and use for energy

Anything that improves these factors will improve VO2 max. So what do we mean by "anything"? Let's dive in.

10 tips to increase VO2 max

Ready to take your heart health to the next level? All you need is your workout shoes, towel and water bottle—and these tips!

1. Exercise more often

Do you work out three to five days per week? Consider adding more exercise days to your routine or working out for longer periods of time per session. By simply increasing your exercise minutes, your body has to work harder to adapt. This increase in work output pushes up your VO2 max.

2. Use progressive overload

Progressive overload involves gradually increasing intensity every four to six weeks in three ways: volume, tempo and/or resistance.

• Tempo—Tempo refers to timing. For instance, you could slow down a bicep curl to increase the amount of time the muscle is under tension. Or, increase your speed during your aerobic workouts, like running, cycling or swimming.
• Resistance—Resistance can be modified with heavier weights or even resistance bands. Also, try changing your body positioning, such as going from a flat bench press to a decline bench press. During a cardio workout, increase resistance with hill climbs or by adding gears on a bike.
• Volume—Volume can be increased by completing more repetitions of an exercise, doing more minutes of a cardio workout or working out more days of the week.

Note that these increases should be modest: no need for big jumps. Just a 10% bump up week-after-week is a good rate, so you don't burn out or risk injury.

3. Incorporate high-intensity interval training

High-intensity interval training (aka HIIT) involves short bursts of hard effort, followed by short rest periods. However, you can also perform HIIT workouts with longer intervals. In either case, the workout only lasts about 10 to 30 minutes total. Regardless of the time, high-intensity aerobic training has consistently shown to increase VO2 max.

Some effective interval workouts include:

Norwegian Protocol

• 4 minutes at 90-95% of your estimated max heart rate
• 3 minutes of cardio at 70% of your estimated max heart rate
• Repeat for 4 rounds

8 x 400 m

• Run 400 m (0.25 mile) at 90-95% of max heart rate
• 1 minute of walking/recovery
• Complete 8 rounds

30:15

• 30 seconds at 90-95% max heart rate
• 15 seconds of recovery
• Repeat 13 times
• Rest 3 minutes
• Complete 3 rounds of the entire series

4 x 5

• 5 minutes at 90-95% of max heart rate
• 2.5 minutes of recovery
• Complete 4 rounds

4. Run slower for longer

While high-intensity interval training can improve VO2 max the most, researchers say endurance training also yields large improvements in the VO2 max of healthy, young to middle-aged adults. This type of long, moderate-intensity exercise trains your heart to become more efficient at pumping blood. With better blood flow comes more oxygen available for energy.

5. Add a tempo run

A tempo run is a comfortably hard effort you can sustain for 20 to 60 minutes. On a scale of one to 10, your rate of perceived exertion is between six and eight. Some running coaches refer to this as threshold pace or anaerobic threshold, which is when blood lactate begins to accumulate faster than your body can clear it.

Whether you're running at threshold or slightly below, a tempo run places continuous demand on your cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Add a weekly tempo run and watch your VO2 max—and race performance—improve over time.

6. Push your limits

Whether you're running sprint intervals or doing powerlifting exercises, make sure you're working to the point of fatigue. By the end of a sprinting interval, you should feel out of breath. When strength training, you'll know you've reached the point of fatigue when you lose good form or range of motion. This level of effort leads to muscular adaptations that increase VO2 max.

7. Train at high altitudes

At high elevations, the air pressure makes it harder for oxygen to move from the lungs to the blood and bind to hemoglobin. To compensate, your body starts to produce more red blood cells that are rich in hemoglobin. Researchers have long studied these effects on athletic performance. What they found is high altitude training can improve aerobic capacity by increasing maximum oxygen uptake and hemoglobin levels.

8. Lose weight

Remember, relative VO2 max is your absolute VO2 max divided by your weight in kilograms. Elementary school math class taught us that dividing by a smaller denominator leads to a higher result. So, by simply losing weight, you can increase your relative VO2 max. Losing weight also reduces the workload on your heart, which can lead to higher stroke volumes and better overall heart health.

9. Warm up before every workout

The benefits of stretching and warming up before a workout are far too great to skip. A proper warmup not only wakes up your body and makes you more mentally alert to exercise, but also raises your heart rate and respiratory rate.

An elevated heart rate increases blood flow and oxygen delivery all throughout the body. These changes also increase the cardiorespiratory system's aerobic capacity, leading to improved exercise performance.

10. Take recovery days

A training week should include a mix of long aerobic activity and short interval training days. But don't forget to schedule rest and recovery in between.

Recovery days allow your body to make the physiological adaptations that lead to better exercise performance. When you're fully recovered, you can train at your peak and push up that VO2 max.

What lifestyle changes can support improvements in VO2 max?

A good rule of thumb: any lifestyle change that improves heart health can also improve VO2 max. That said, below are effective lifestyle shifts that will have the greatest impact.

• Eat a heart-healthy diet

  —The Mediterranean diet has been listed as the "best diet" by U.S. News and World Report and has long been touted for its heart-healthy components. Mediterranean-inspired foods, such as olive oil, nuts, plant-based proteins and fish, are rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

• Supplement as needed

  —There's no shortage of heart health supplements. But in terms of VO2 max, you may want to add a formula that supports vascular health and blood flow. An omega-3 fish oil is a good place to start, especially if you don't get enough fatty fish in your diet. Or, if you're looking for an additional boost for exercise, you may want to consider an arjuna supplement. There are even supplements that promote lung and respiratory health—also key to VO2 max improvements.

• Quit smoking

  —Smoking cigarettes directly affects your blood vessels and the amount of oxygen in the blood. Less blood flow and less oxygen will not help you increase VO2 max or exercise performance.

• Get adequate sleep

  —If you have trouble sleeping or don't get enough shut-eye, it can impact your healthy blood pressure over longer periods of time. Give your heart the rest it deserves by sleeping seven to nine hours each night. This also allows your muscles time to recover from your VO2 max workouts.

• Manage stress

  —Stress is a natural part of life. But too much is never a good thing! Make sure you're practicing effective stress management to keep from boiling over. Doing regular breathing exercises is one way to calm your nervous system while improving lung capacity.

References

• Astorino TA, et al. "Effect of high-intensity interval training on cardiovascular function, VO2max, and muscular force." J Strength Cond Res. January 2012. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22201691/
• Chen B, et al. "Effect of altitude training on the aerobic capacity of athletes: A systematic review and meta-analysis." Heliyon. September 2023. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37809554/
• Helgerud J, et al. "Aerobic high-intensity intervals improve VO2max more than moderate training." Med Sci Sports Exerc. April 2007. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17414804/
• Lloria-Varella J, et al. "Cardiorespiratory and Neuromuscular Improvements Plateau after 2 wk of Sprint Interval Training in Sedentary Individuals." Med Sci Sports Exerc. May 2024. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38109197/
• Milanović Z, et al. "Effectiveness of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIT) and Continuous Endurance Training for VO2max Improvements: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Controlled Trials." Sports Med. October 2015. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26243014/
• Tjønna AE, et al. "Low- and high-volume of intensive endurance training significantly improves maximal oxygen uptake after 10-weeks of training in healthy men." PLoS One. May 2013. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23734250/
• Väisänen D, et al. "Reference values for estimated VO2max by two submaximal cycle tests: the Åstrand-test and the Ekblom-Bak test." Eur J Appl Physiol. June 2024. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38252302/
• "Exercise Testing." Johns Hopkins Medicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/heart-vascular-institute/cardiology/cardiac-rehabilitation/exercise-testing  
• "Track your cardio fitness levels." Apple. September 2024. https://support.apple.com/en-us/108790
• "VO2 max: What is it and how can you improve it?" Harvard Health Publishing. July 2024. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/vo2-max-what-is-it-and-how-can-you-improve-it
• "VO2 Max." Science Direct. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/vo2-max
• "VO2 Max Testing." University of Virginia School of Medicine. https://med.virginia.edu/exercise-physiology-core-laboratory/fitness-assessment-for-community-members/vo2-max-testing