VO2 Max

You have likely heard me talk about the importance of knowing and tracking your VO₂ max. As Alex Hutchinson and I discussed in episode #151, your VO₂ max refers to the maximum rate at which your muscles can extract oxygen from your blood and put it to metabolic use to generate energy. Your VO₂ max is often used as an indicator of overall cardiorespiratory fitness and can serve as a metric for tracking progress.

As I discussed in detail during AMA #27 and again on Twitter in early March 2022, when looking at VO₂ max in relation to all-cause mortality, we see a very clear trend. Simply bringing your VO₂ max from ‘low’ (bottom 25th percentile) to ‘below average’ (25th to 50th percentile) is associated with a 50% reduction in all-cause mortality. When you go from ‘low’ to ‘above average’ (50th to 75th percentile) the risk reduction is closer to 70%!

The following is a collection of content diving deeper into the topic of VO₂ max, including: what it is, how it is measured, and how to improve your VO₂ max with Zone 5 training.

Exercise

Guest Episode

Injury prevention, recovery, and performance optimization for every decade

Ep. #350 with Kyler Brown, D.C.

Exercise

AMA

Building strength and muscle mass: how to optimize training, nutrition, and more for longevity

Ep. #349 (AMA #71)

Longevity

QPS

Peter’s takeaways on aerobic exercise and VO2 max, insulin resistance, rising healthcare costs, treating children with autism and ADHD, and strength training | Quarterly Podcast Summary #4

Ep. #338

Longevity

AMA

Fasting, well-balanced diets, alcohol, exercise for busy people, wearables, emotional health, assessing cardiovascular health, and more

Ep. #336 (AMA #68)

Exercise

Guest Episode

Optimizing endurance performance: metrics, nutrition, lactate, and more insights from elite performers

Ep. #331 with Olav Aleksander Bu

Exercise

Free Article

High-intensity interval training and cognitive function in older adults: promising but limited findings

Other tactics, tools, & treatments

Free Article

Could plasma protein levels be a surrogate for VO2 max testing as a measure of cardiorespiratory fitness?

Exercise

Is zone 5 training okay to do immediately following zone 2 training?

with IÑIGO SAN-MILLÁN, PH.D.

Exercise

Podcast Episode

Exercise for aging people: where to begin, and how to minimize risk while maximizing potential

Ep. #307

Exercise

QPS

NEW: Introducing quarterly podcast summaries - Peter shares his biggest takeaways on muscle protein synthesis, VO2 max, toe strength, gut health, and more

Ep. #304

Medications & supplements

Podcast Episode

Special episode: Peter on exercise, fasting, nutrition, stem cells, geroprotective drugs, and more — promising interventions or just noise?

Ep. #300

Exercise

Free Article

With exercise, results matter more than “time served”

Exercise

Premium Article

The [almost] unbelievable effects of a high maximal aerobic capacity on all-cause mortality

Exercise

Guest Episode

Peak athletic performance: How to measure it and how to train for it from the coach of the most elite athletes on earth

Ep. #294 with Olav Aleksander Bu

Exercise

AMA

High-intensity interval training: benefits, risks, protocols, and impact on longevity

Ep. #293 (AMA #57)

Nutrition

Free Article

Does low iron intake change exercise capacity?

Exercise

AMA

Exercise: longevity-focused training, goal setting, improving deficiencies, managing emotional stress, and more

Ep. #285 (AMA #55)

Exercise

AMA

Heart rate recovery, strength training, rucking, kidney function, and brain health

Ep. #262 (AMA #49)

Exercise

Podcast Episode

Training for The Centenarian Decathlon: zone 2, VO2 max, stability, and strength

Ep. #261

Exercise

Free Article

Cumulative time spent in “vigorous” physical activity lowers mortality risk

Exercise

Free Article

Supramaximal exercise transiently raises serum uric acid

Risks

Guest Episode

Latest insights on Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, exercise, nutrition, and fasting

Ep. #252 with Rhonda Patrick, Ph.D.

Nutrition

AMA

Peter’s historical changes in body composition with his evolving dietary, fasting, and training protocols

Ep. #242 (AMA #44)

Exercise

Guest Episode

The science of strength, muscle, and training for longevity

Ep. #239 with Andy Galpin, Ph.D.