VO2 estimate on Fenix 7 really high

Hi,

I've got the Fenix 7 (Sapphire) since two weeks, and my VO2 is going through the roof. It's currently estimated at 60, which is clearly not realistic (as much as I wish it would). I'm mainly running, and for the last 3 years had a Fenix 5+ which estimated my VO2 between 52 and 56, depending on training effort and fitness... and that mirrored well how I felt.

With the 7, I did a few interval sessions so it should have learned my maximal heart rate. That's set to automatic detection, as well as the HR zones for running (as %HRmax). Anything I'm missing?

Thanks for help and suggestions!
Peter

Top Replies

goosjuh over 3 years ago +1

For me the vo2max is now almost perfect, at my last breathig gas analysis (official VO2max test) it was 66 and my on mine fenix 7 it is now on 64. On mine old fenix 6 it was way to low (60)

All Replies

0 chrisgg over 3 years ago

My VO2 Max estimate on Fenix 7 Solar Sapphire is also way too high at 41; should be more like 35. Worse, the estimates of 5k, 10k times etc. are way too fast. It thinks I should do a 5k in 25 minutes but I haven't done that since 2016 and then only once since 2013. So far this year I haven't been under 31:30 in 5k parkruns and other club 5k yet it apparently bases its estimates on the last 4 weeks. It thinks I should do a 10k in 54 min but the last time was in 2017, 5 years ago. Last December it took me 1:06. I'm now 71 and have been slowing up steadily over the last 6 years. So this Firstbeat algorithm is nonsense and useless. Garmin has all my activities on record since 2011 and should know better what I am capable of by now. So what if my legs are stiffer and less springy, which they probably are? What if the blood supply or circulation of oxygen to my legs is not as good as it was when I was younger? That might not show up at all in their VO2 estimates which are more to do with my breathing and lungs, and which take no account at all of my performances that I have recorded...just silly things like resting HR, maximum HR (which can be very inaccurate) and BMI. Do they not take my times into consideration when working out VO2? Obviously not, because they think their VO2 estimated are so good that they can predict how fast I should be going. It really is beyond belief that such an algorithm should be churning out nonsense in expensive Garmin devices.

0 goosjuh over 3 years ago

For me the vo2max is now almost perfect, at my last breathig gas analysis (official VO2max test) it was 66 and my on mine fenix 7 it is now on 64. On mine old fenix 6 it was way to low (60)

0 BowMaestro over 3 years ago

Be sure to have real life MHR set, also weight.

and let the watch dial in over a few runs.

I also kinda noticed that the device wants a “+run” or “-run” before it actually raises or lowers the number, so if you do a slow low effort and next an fast effort over and over again it kind of stucks at the same number.

0 chrisgg over 3 years ago in reply to goosjuh

That's good, I'm glad it works for you. I've never had a proper analysis done so can't be sure of my actual VO2 Max . Does it predict your race times accurately? It's certainly badly wrong there for me.

0 TobiasLj over 3 years ago

I'm using Epix2 but also suspect that the VO2 estimations are high and I think that it has to do with wrong HR zones but I can't say for sure: https://forums.garmin.com/outdoor-recreation/outdoor-recreation/f/fenix-7-series/284680/heart-rate-in-activity-shows-different-ranges-than-i-ve-entered-on-my-device-fenix-7s/1378154#1378154

0 9793612 over 3 years ago in reply to TobiasLj

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