VO2 Max

As many of you know, I have been chasing this heartrate thing for some time. Today I met with a cardiologist, Dr. Friedrich, who looked everything over and said, no problem with the high heart rate. But he also said that a VO2 Max test would determine optimal heart rate training ranges specific to my physiology.

So what exactly is VO2 Max:
VO2 Max: "Fitness can be measured by the volume of oxygen you can consume while exercising at your maximum capacity. VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen in milliliters, one can use in one minute per kilogram of body weight. Those who are more fit have higher VO2 max values and can exercise more intensely than those who are not as well conditioned. Numerous studies show that you can increase your VO2 max by working out at an intensity that raises your heart rate to between 65 and 85 per cent of its maximum for at least 20 minutes three to five times a week. A mean value of VO2 max for male athletes is about 3.5 litres/minute and for female athletes it is about 2.7 litres/minute."

This is a pretty good page regarding VO2 Max and how to use it. Now scroll down and see that our boy LA has a VO2 Max of 80+.