VO2Max Rating

My F5 says my cycling V02Max is 35 and that this is "Poor". (This comes from the Training Status Widget).

I'm 57 and my date of birth is set in the F5.

According to Firstbeat Technologies, developer of the analytics to computer VO2Max on the Garmin devices, this is actually a "Good" score.

See here:

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

I also question the VO2Max score itself. On Garmin and Strava segments, I am typically in the top 5% and, for some segments, hold the 1st place for my age.

Something doesn't add up.

Anyone have any insight into this or is that just another example of the Fenix 5 "random number generator" effect that seems to afflict various metrics like Aerobic/Anerobic scores and Training Status?

0 PubBike over 8 years ago

Garmin use the Cooper Institute tables.

How representative the estimate is that the watch presents depends on what kind of workouts you do. If I get on a Wattbike I can get 7 or 8 points on top of what the watch tells me from other riding.

0 Former Member over 8 years ago

I'm 30 years old and my VO2Max only shows as 36, giving me a 'fair' rating and fitness age of 40 :(

0 R_Tellis over 8 years ago

Seems odd to me that they use the First Beat algorithms to get the estimate but the Cooper table for the rating and Daniels VDOT for race predictions when there are similar tables for each in the First Beat white paper.

0 FredJensin over 8 years ago

More random number generation?

I'm 30 years old and my VO2Max only shows as 36, giving me a 'fair' rating and fitness age of 40 :(

Thanks, PubBike, for the pointer to the VO2Max tables in the Garmin documentation. This explains my "poor" rating, but it doesn't explain "thatmedee's" "fair" rating (I'm assuming "thatmedee" is a man) since, by that same table, he's also "poor".

0 FredJensin over 8 years ago

Garmin use the Cooper Institute tables.

How representative the estimate is that the watch presents depends on what kind of workouts you do. If I get on a Wattbike I can get 7 or 8 points on top of what the watch tells me from other riding.

I'm not sure what you mean by "kinds of workouts". I never use a stationary bike but I do mix long aerobic (30-50 miles) with short aerobic/threshold (15 miles) and, once or twice a week some HIIT (Tabata and/or 5 minutes at 95% MaxHR).

The VO2Max value doesn't seem to ever change.

0 Former Member over 8 years ago

I'm not sure what you mean by "kinds of workouts". I never use a stationary bike but I do mix long aerobic (30-50 miles) with short aerobic/threshold (15 miles) and, once or twice a week some HIIT (Tabata and/or 5 minutes at 95% MaxHR).

The VO2Max value doesn't seem to ever change.

Since getting my F5 Sapp beginning of May, my VO2 max has steadily improved. Initially I started out at 47 (46yrs old) and has gradually topped out at 51 which it's been at for the last 2 weeks now.

0 PubBike over 8 years ago

it doesn't explain "thatmedee's" "fair" rating (I'm assuming "thatmedee" is a man) since, by that same table, he's also "poor".

thatmdee's rating is correct. Age 30-39, 34.4 < VO[SUB]2[/SUB]max < 37.8 = fair

0 PubBike over 8 years ago

I'm not sure what you mean by "kinds of workouts".

It says in the help that you need to ride at a steady high intensity for 20 minutes to get a cycling VO[SUB]2[/SUB]max estimate. You could also try doing it in a separate activity not including your warmup.

0 FredJensin over 8 years ago

thatmdee's rating is correct. Age 30-39, 34.4 < VO[SUB]2[/SUB]max < 37.8 = fair

Only if "thatmdee" is a woman. You are reading the incorrect chart (there are two) if, as I stated, you assume "thatmdee" is male.... if male, the chart says "poor".