Physical Tests for Longevity: VO2 Max

Part one of our 'physical performance test for longevity' mini-series.

This 'physical performance test for longevity' mini-series is sponsored by Mito Health and AVEA Life.

What is VO2 Max?

In simple terms, V stands for volume, O2 stand for oxygen, and max stands for maximum.

VO2 max, therefore, means how much oxygen your body can utilise.

How to Find Out Your VO2 max

The most accurate method:

• Use VO2 max testing equipment to measure your gas exchange

• Pick an activity to do it up to exhaustion:

  • Treadmill running, cycling on the stationary bike, rowing, swimming, etc.

• Your VO2 max result will be generated by the equipment

The most convenient method:

• Use a smart watch or other equation-based methods (e.g. Cooper Test)

• Check your smart watch app or use the equation calculator

Important note:

• Smartwatches give you a result between 1% to more than 10% inaccuracy, hence they can be useful for estimation, but researchers recommend against using them for sports and health applications (ALLSET had similar results in our testing)

More content about the VO2 max testing process to come; links will be updated here.

Why is VO2 Max the Greatest Predictor of Longevity?

1. Multiple Tests in One

VO2 max is an indication of your:

• Likelihood to develop cancer

• Cardiovascular health

• Metabolic health

• Musculoskeletal health

Likelihood to Develop Cancer

Having healthy heart and lungs can protect you against cancer.

A systematic review reported lower risk of any cancer in men with high cardiorespiratory fitness, and a separate cohort study found that cardiorespiratory fitness is linearly associated with a lower hazard of developing most of the site-specific cancers that were assessed.

Forest plot showing the results for cardiorespiratory fitness at conscription and incidence of site-specific cancer.

Key research findings:

• Associations between cardiorespiratory fitness in youth and the incidence of site-specific cancer in men: a cohort study with register linkage

• Cardiorespiratory fitness and site-specific risk of cancer in men: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Cardiovascular Health

To improve your VO2 max, your heart, blood, and blood vessels, which are parts of your cardiovascular system, need to work together to supply more oxygen to your body.

Improving your cardiovascular fitness have been found to reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular conditions.

Key research finding:

• Cardiorespiratory fitness is a strong and consistent predictor of morbidity and mortality among adults: an overview of meta-analyses representing over 20.9 million observations from 199 unique cohort studies