I started a 12 week workout program in May to accomplish a 5k. I've been doing well and can tell that my fitness has improved. My VO2 Max score, however, has gotten increasingly worse. It is currently at 29 which it says the fitness age is equivalent to a 79 year old. I'm 43 with an average resting hr in the 50's. Any ideas as to what I'm doing wrong that could cause the rating to be so off?
Running VO2max is calculated based on pace and heart rate. If we exclude the possibility that you are simply terribly slow, then I'd suspect that your HR data is unreliable, for example an elevated reading (while in fact your real pulse stays relatively low) will certainly skew the VO2max calculation.
Other factors that might negatively affect VO2max calculation: Running through heavy terrain Extreme ambient temperature Running with additional load, like a heavy backpack
Depending on what heart zones the workout program sets for the day, my average speed is 3mph or greater. I'm running on a concrete track and with no extra weight. Temperatures are summertime so in the 80s, maybe low 90s on a couple days.
2.5 pts lower than a echo/stress test at a cardiologist's last week. Viv3 45, stress test 47.5. 68yr old. Since i very rarely run except on a treadmill because of foot problems, i am bemused at the times the Garmin provides a new measure. They need one for an elliptical machine.
