As you move from rest to exercise, your body needs more energy.
The increase in energy requirements is directly proportional to the increase in your rate of work.
The more energy your body needs, the more oxygen it consumes, but eventually, your body reaches a limit for oxygen consumption.
This peak value of oxygen uptake during intense (or maximal) exercise is referred to as your maximal oxygen consumption, or VO2max. It is measured as milllitres of oxygen consumed in one minute per kg of body weight.
The increase in energy requirements is directly proportional to the increase in your rate of work.
The more energy your body needs, the more oxygen it consumes, but eventually, your body reaches a limit for oxygen consumption.
This peak value of oxygen uptake during intense (or maximal) exercise is referred to as your maximal oxygen consumption, or VO2max. It is measured as milllitres of oxygen consumed in one minute per kg of body weight.
It is regarded by many sports physiologists as the best single measurement of cardiorespiratory endurance and aerobic fitness.
With endurance training the cardiovascular system undergoes changes which allow it to deliver more oxygen than in the untrained state. VO2max increases of at least 20% have been measured in athletes undergoing a 6 month training program.
Improvements in VO2max allow you to perform endurance activities more efficiently and at higher work loads, improving your performance potential. It does not guarantee an improved performance as there are so many other variables involved in athletic performance other than just endurance capacity.
VO2max can be measured very accurately in a sports physiology lab, under supervised conditions using a treadmill and measuring the exhaled gases, and monitoring various parameters of the athlete, including heart rate. However it is time consuming and expensive, so a number of simple tests have been designed to measure aerobic capacity, then using tables or equations, estimate the VO2max.
With endurance training the cardiovascular system undergoes changes which allow it to deliver more oxygen than in the untrained state. VO2max increases of at least 20% have been measured in athletes undergoing a 6 month training program.
Improvements in VO2max allow you to perform endurance activities more efficiently and at higher work loads, improving your performance potential. It does not guarantee an improved performance as there are so many other variables involved in athletic performance other than just endurance capacity.
VO2max can be measured very accurately in a sports physiology lab, under supervised conditions using a treadmill and measuring the exhaled gases, and monitoring various parameters of the athlete, including heart rate. However it is time consuming and expensive, so a number of simple tests have been designed to measure aerobic capacity, then using tables or equations, estimate the VO2max.