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VO2 max chart - fitness age calculations - Max HR

I understand the VO2 max is really an approximation and should be looked at relative to other logged values particularly since it is not necessarily measuring a true VO2 max but i am a bit confused because the assignment of fitness level does not match the various published charts.

EDIT-I see that you use a Cooper Institute chart which is not really in sync with a whole lot of other charts....but I found this article on the firstbeat site which looks worth reading.

https://www.firstbeat.com/app/uploads/2015/10/white_paper_VO2max_11-11-20142.pdf

62 YO woman, levels is 27 which should put me in the good or average range but it says poor on GC and I am like a 79 year old. FWIW RHR is 60 and 2 minute recovery rate is 40-45, which are both good t for my sex and age. Just curious. I figure all I should care about is VO2 max trend. Not sure it is calculated by Garmin. If it is only done in high zones, Usually an elevation for me is going up a steep grade which also slows my forward pace.

Also have seen some formulas for max HR that say for women it should be 226-age not 220-age. Comments?

0 R_Tellis over 7 years ago

You're spot on with looking at the Vo2Max score mainly as a trend line since, as you noted, it's an approximation.

WRT HRMax throw any calculation out the window as they're not based on anything that has to do with your own biometrics other than your age. There are a lot of sub-maximal tests that you can do that will give you a better idea or what your personal HRMax is than any formula without having to push yourself to the point of collapse the way a true HRMax test would and having a reasonable accurate HRMax entered in your Garmin Connect profile is important to their Vo2Max calculation.

As you suspect that Vo2Max values derived from lower intensity exercises are prone to giving lower results since the farther you are from a maximal effort the harder the calculation is. From reading your posts elsewhere on the forum I know that you're very active but not a runner or cyclist training for specific events so I wouldn't be surprised if you're seeing a lower score than someone of your age and fitness who regularly sees the same HR at higher paces due to running over less terrain rather than scrambling through the woods. The types of activity you describe in other threads put your calculated Vo2Max pretty much in line with those activities in the chart in the Firstbeat paper you linked to.

I haven't really formed much of an opinion yet on the fitness age stat. I'm 54 with a Vo2Max of 51 right now with a fitness age of excellent for a 20 year old. I was in the Corps and in excellent shape when I was 20 but much faster than I am now so I'm not sure what "fitness age" is supposed to represent. So I take it with a grain of salt just like anything else that isn't a direct measurement.

0 nancyjocoy over 7 years ago

I am not too worried about my own numbers other than I know I am not an athlete but in better shape than most my age and working to improve it. Mainly wondering why, if Garmin uses Firstbeat for VO2max, they don't use the "rating" values based on the Firstbeat chart in the linked article but one from Cooper that does not seem to match a lot of the other published tables.

0 repete60 over 1 year ago

I bit confuse about v02 max as mine was solid, locked on 39 for weeks and weeks despite ramping up running and distances gradually, Also on the insights page, it tells me that I have a better vo2 max than 18% of users in my age group (60-64, fitness age apparently 57 according to Garmin) , then on the reports page, it tells me that my vo2 max is in theTOP 20% of my age group, Cannot be both

0 trux over 1 year ago in reply to repete60

repete60 said:
on the insights page, it tells me that I have a better vo2 max than 18% of users in my age group (60-64, fitness age apparently 57 according to Garmin) , then on the reports page, it tells me that my vo2 max is in theTOP 20% of my age group, Cannot be both

It can. While the Insight page refers to Garmin users (who are often sportive and fit, and in no way a representative sample of the entire population), the Reports page refers to the general population. So, yes, you can be in the top 20% of the general population, while better than just 18% of other Garmin users.