VO2 max not changing for a month

Hi all,

I got a Garmin Fenix 6X Pro Solar around 40 days ago and I started using it. I had issues initially with the HR accuracy but I solved it by buying a chest strap.

I realized that the VO2 max remained the same for all this period and today dropped 1 point. I have been training regularly and the training status goes from "maintaining" to "productive" and all the other parameters look fine on the watch. To give more context, I don't use running or trail running but I do Crossfit workouts. I have copied the Cardio activity in the watch and renamed it "Crossfit" and used that activity to measure my workouts. Sometimes I am using also the Rowing Indoors, but it seems that none of them is triggering the VO2 Calculation. My workouts are quite intense and go usually in Zone 5 (Aerobic effect and anaerobic effect are giving good results).

Today I noticed in the Connect App- Device- Settings- HR Zones that the Running HR Zone toggle was ON. Maybe it means that will trigger the calculation of VO2 Max only from the running activity?

I put it OFF and will monitor it but I really don't get what can be the issue here. Should the VO2 Max be triggered from all activities since I read in some threads that are only triggered by Running activity? That looks quite strange because some people may not like running at all.

Did anybody has similar issues? Any tips on how to resolve the issue and trigger the VO2 Max from all the activities?

Thank you for reading this post.

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0 wschoot over 2 years ago

Mind you that (in my case) 42 ain't exactly 42. It's a bit below, or above, but rounded off to 42. I too have been having a very stable vo2max (hardly moving last year) but this graph suggests it moves at least a bit.

0 ronand over 2 years ago

VO2max is only for running and cycling (and these figures are calculated separately too). VO2max for cycling needs a power meter too.

0 TheVikingIbex over 2 years ago in reply to ronand

I had a Garmin Venu before and I haven't faced this issue. Was using the same activity Cardio (not running) but the VO2 was changing and updating constantly and was dropping only if I was not training for more than a week. Have they changed the logic here and now Garmin is triggering it only on running and cycling? That looks a little bit odd to me

0 TheVikingIbex over 2 years ago in reply to wschoot

Does this mean that you may be doing all other activities and if you will not perform running or cycling than your VO2 Max will be off completely?

0 wschoot over 2 years ago in reply to TheVikingIbex

It merely means that your "running vo2max" will be for running only, just as the cycling-counterpart. I wouldn't want my running vo2max affected by hikes, walks or HIIT training I guess

0 Ɛpsilon over 2 years ago in reply to TheVikingIbex

https://support.garmin.com/en-GB/?faq=lWqSVlq3w76z5WoihLy5f8

0 3389109 over 2 years ago

Static VO2max has been an issue since July. Mine hasn't changed since. Garmin is looking into the issue, but don't expect a quick fix. The bad thing is that VO2max not updating screws up a lot more things for you...

0 04c7750b3dae4308bb63264d8d7c4d08 over 2 years ago in reply to wschoot

In my understanding there is only one VO2 max - the maximum rate of oxygen consumption attainable during physical exertion, as the definition says. How would you differentiate between VO2 max during different activitoes? The lungs capacity doesn't care if you're running or swimming.

0 Etupes25 over 2 years ago in reply to 04c7750b3dae4308bb63264d8d7c4d08

04c7750b3dae4308bb63264d8d7c4d08 said:
the maximum rate of oxygen consumption

Correct

04c7750b3dae4308bb63264d8d7c4d08 said:
The lungs capacity doesn't care if you're running or swimming

Ability of certain muscles to receive and process oxygen will be developed through training. Running and cycling use different muscles in different ways, so you can expect some difference in VO2 max.

In a lab, the difference in VO2 max will vary with the athlete's sport of predilection.

"The entire group of subjects had significantly (P < 0.05) higher values of VO2max on the treadmill compared with the cycle ergometer [mean (SEM) 4.7 (0.8) and 4.4 (0.9) l.min-1, respectively], and differences between tests averaged 10.5% for runners, 6.1% for triathletes and 2.8% for cyclists."

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10638380/

But there could also more dramatic differences on the watch usually because of different efforts provided by the user. The VO2 max models work best when fed with maximal efforts. Otherwise, the models have to predict the maximal ventilation rate/HR and corresponding work (pace/power)

0 Dr Phil over 2 years ago in reply to 3389109

3389109 said:
Static VO2max has been an issue since July. Mine

It actually goes back even further than that for me but I don’t consider it an issue. I’ve been active all my life so never expect my VO2max to change much. And that is an expected outcome for regularly active healthy people. Individual VO2max cannot continue to rise. It’s limited by individual physiology. So, just because there has been no movement for a period of time does not necessarily indicate a problem.