New Research Finds Most Important Factors for Boosting VO2 Max as You Age
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A new study, involving nearly 800 older adults, points out the factors most associated with higher VO2 max.
Researchers and experts explain how to increase VO2 max, especially as you age.
Numerous factors play a role in athletic performance. But at the top of that list is VO2 max, a marker of cardiorespiratory fitness level.
More specifically, VO2 max is a measure of the total amount of oxygen you can take in and use during effort, but it's not only about how much comes in—it's also about how well you utilize that oxygen, especially when you're at full force. The more you can optimize that process, the greater your speed and endurance.
VO2 max doesn't only play a role in your running, though. It's also linked to healthy aging, with studies suggesting it's a strong predictor for longevity and overall health as we get older.
As runners, most of us want to improve VO2 max to make hard efforts feel easier and to run faster for longer. And new research in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise suggests timing and consistency of daily activity could be the two most important aspects of increasing your cardiorespiratory capacity, especially as you get older.
In the recent study, researchers looked at data from the Study of Muscle, Mobility and Aging, done by the National Institute on Aging. They assessed metrics of rest-activity rhythms which are daily patterns of rest and activity, often linked to circadian rhythm, for 799 men and women (aged 70 and older) and evaluated associations between these metrics with VO2 max. They also examined when participants got peak activity, as well as intensity of activity.
'What we learned is that the timing of activity, as well as the amount of activity, may be contributing to healthy aging,' lead researcher Karyn Esser, Ph.D., professor in the department of physiology and aging at the University of Florida, told Runner's World. 'We found that those individuals who got moving earlier in the day demonstrated higher levels of cardiopulmonary fitness—as measured by VO2 max—as well as walking efficiency.'
Basically, loading up activity early in the day and staying consistent throughout the week (especially sticking to similar rest and activity times) could be game changing for VO2 max, particularly for older adults. As the researchers put it, being 'rhythmic' with predictable and consistent behavior can improve physiological function—and your health.
Another factor researchers examined was called 'higher-amplitude activity' compared to rest periods, which means that study participants who did more intense exercise during those morning sessions had better cardiorespiratory fitness.
What's important to note is that activity included any type of movement, as long as it had some degree of intensity (not just moving in a leisurely way but adding some oomph to the activity). That could mean cleaning or gardening, in addition to walking or more formal exercise.
Esser noted that this study didn't include younger athletes to see if the association was relevant for them, but that may be tackled in future research. 'In general, it's likely that it would be the case that maintaining a regular pattern of activity, done earlier in the day and with consistency, would contribute to healthier outcomes,' she said.
In addition to early and regular exercise, previous research has highlighted other tactics for optimizing VO2 max, in participants in a wide range of ages. For example, a meta-analysis in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports that looked at 24 studies with nearly 13,000 total participants, ages 18 to 84, found that HIIT (high-intensity interval training) conferred major benefits for VO2 max, with sprint-interval training significantly increasing cardiorespiratory fitness.
HIIT is commonly performed at about 80 percent of peak heart rate, while sprint intervals are more of an 'all-out' effort designed to get you to 100 percent of your VO2 max, the researchers noted. This type of max effort is beneficial for strengthening the heart and lungs, which enhances oxygen uptake and improves cardiovascular efficiency.
Mixing intervals with endurance sessions can get you even greater advantages, certified cycling and running coach Paul Warloski of Simple Endurance Coaching told Runner's World.
'When you take on a run that includes a longer distance that you can do comfortably—being able to hold a conversation, for example—it leads to metabolic adaptations that improve VO2 max,' he said. For example, those adaptations include better ability for the heart to pump blood, which delivers more oxygen to muscles. 'With interval training on some days and endurance on others, your body will become more efficient at using oxygen in different training and race scenarios.'
Research in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health looking at VO2 max in endurance athletes backs this up, and also adds that as you increase performance level through endurance training, the more stable your VO2 max can become over time.
A standard performance variable like sleep can make a difference, too. For instance, a study in the journal Physiological Behavior found that participants with better sleep quality and sleep duration had higher VO2 max values. That's because adequate sleep has been linked to better heart function overall, which can affect the capacity for oxygen uptake during exercise.
With any factor that boosts VO2 max, the key is consistency, said Warloski. Whether you're adding early-morning exercise, focusing on sleep quality, or mixing intervals with endurance, progress comes not just with effort, but also from showing up and putting in the work—week after week and month after month.
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