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Vo2 Max no longer updating on watch or app

Gregjohnmason
over 2 years ago

I can see that there have been a fair number of similar issues raised in the past on Fenix 6 and other watches but none with exactly the same symptom.

I have a Fenix 6 Pro and an HRM Pro - had them for a couple of years and Forerunner 935 before that. About the end of May this year, the Fenix no longer made any changes to my Vo2 Max. Before that date my Vo2 Max would change quite regularly between, say low 50s to 58 in single number increments up or down after some runs depending on how fit I was - usually, a run ending with a Training status of Productive would result in an increase in Vo2 Max and a result of Unproductive would result in a drop. It tended to fluctuate often.

Since May, and I don't know if there was a software update or if I changed Max HR or what, my Vo2 Max has sat at 54 regardless of how well I've been running, how fit I feel, how fast or slow. I also noticed that the watch no longer flashes up my Performance Condition when running (about 5 minutes into the run usually) although I always have a Performance Condition showing after the run, which matches up with the Training Status usually - same as before. But no update to the Vo2 Max.

The watch has even updated my Max HR and Lactate Thresholds a couple of times during this period so it's obviously providing some analysis, but no update to Vo2 Max.

Lots of the other similar posts people have suggested that they're not doing something right, like not running long enough or hard enough or not setting the GPS right, using Trail Run or something, but that's not the case here. I didn't change anything in my running habits and the only thing that may have changed then or since is Max HR. I've checked the GPS settings and even set the "Run" activity back to defaults and checked settings. Can't see how it's different from before.

Nothing. I mean it doesn't affect my running or training status or load (I think), but it's a little disheartening when I feel my fitness is up not to get that little nudge. And it also makes me wonder if there's something else up.

Any useful ideas on what to check or do (from Garmin please or other users)?

Thanks...

  • 0 over 2 years ago

    I had the same issue and thought something was wrong. My VO2Max stayed put from the end of May until end of August. I figured out that if you go to Connect on a computer and the go to Reports->VO2Max you can hit Export. It downloads a csv-file with your VO2Max in two decimals. I could see that it went up slowly and yesterday it went from 59 to 60!

    It looks like Garmin changed the algorithm. And your VO2Max does not really change much from day to day, so this method seems to be better.

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to nedberg

    Yes, I can see on the watch itself a constant track of Vo2 with the tiniest of fluctuation +/- 0.2 maybe over the past 4 weeks. Maybe the algorithm did change (back in May) but it’s a radical difference. Plus the lack of Performance Condition update during a run seems to point to an issue of some kind - even though performance condition is logged. Maybe I’ll just have to train harder - annoyingly the “correction” to the algorithm seemed to happen during a low point in my training g where my Vo2 Max had dropped 4 points. It’s never come back since.

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to nedberg

    Yes - I see now from that report but my reading only ever went up by one at a time. Sometimes it might go up 1, once or twice per week if I'd been training hard, but a whole digit accuracy per month doesn't really give the fluctuations I'd like to see in enough granularity to work out if there's an issue. After May, as you can see, it basically never went <> 54

    VO₂ Max
    VO₂ Max
    Oct running 55
    Nov running 53
    Dec running 56
    Jan running 58
    Feb running 57
    Mar running 58
    Apr running 57
    May running 54
    Jun running 54
    Jul running 54
    Aug running 54
    Sep running 54
  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to Gregjohnmason

    Bearing in mind that the Garmin VO2max is an estimate and not a measurement I think it would be naive to assume that the estimate was so perfect that two decimal places of precision could be relied upon when the figure is probably only correct within +/- 2.

    I think the two decimal places are really for internal use by Garmin to observe your VO2max trend and determine whether your training is productive, unproductive, maintaining etc.. In other words, they are already doing the analysis for you and will let you know if there is an "issue".

    With that said, I am curious to review my trend in more detail, so I use Runalyze to open my fit files and check out VO2max to two decimal places. I just think that Garmin feels it better not to present this false level of accuracy/precision.

    It's a bit like a room thermometer with a precision of one decimal place, but if you put ten of them side by side do you really think they would give the same reading? They'd probably agree within a degree or so, hopefully, but the one decimal place is just giving a false sense of accuracy. As a trend you could use the decimal place to observe changes in any one of them (just as Garmin does) but you should not expect the reading to be perfectly correct.

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to eezytiger

    I absolutely agree! I don't trust the decimals at all. I only used them to see if there was an issue or not. When my VO2Max did not change from May to July, I got worried there was something wrong with my watch. Seeing the decimals changing told me otherwise. 

  • 0 over 1 year ago

    Was this ever solved?  I have the exact same issue now for almost a year.

  • 0 11 months ago in reply to jkny

    Same. VO2 not updated since March on connect and has disappeared from my fenix 6. Owners manual doesnt reflect my watch at all for same model for vo2 max.... any ideas anyone?

  • 0 9 months ago in reply to darryl.hunter18

    Same issues as you with Vo2 Max. Come on Garmin! Get this fixed!!