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A question about the fitness age calculation and the achievable fitness age.

MN Runner
over 1 year ago

I purchased a Forerunner 265 this summer to use as I got back into running after a 3 year hiatus  As I've added some interval workouts my estimated VO2 max bumped up a couple points to 44 and my "fitness age" dropped from 54 to 53 (I'm 61). That was all well and good until I saw the note that I'd reached my “achievable fitness age.” If fitness age is just marketing, I guess it's no big deal to freeze it. If it's a useful arbitrary scale for tracking the improvement in fitness, it seems silly to freeze it a month after I got the watch.

So my questions for any that wish to comment:

1. Will fitness age decrease below the “achievable” as VO2 max increases, weight decreases, and speed increases? (I'm assuming it won't.)

2. Do people knock years off their actual age to make the fitness age calculation active again?

  • 0 over 1 year ago

    The latest Garmin calculations (from about three years ago when it was changed ,I think)  have a minimum which is current age -9.5 years , so once you achieve that it will not go lower. 

    Before that change it would go. a lot lower as and example when I was in my late 50's it was somewhere on the high twenties/ low thirties as fitness age on the previous methodology. My Vo2 max was at the 95th percentile of the 20-29 age group so that would sound plausible just looking at Vo2 Max.

    As with so many of the metrics we see on these devices , it's to be taken with a pinch of salt in a way.

  • 0 over 1 year ago in reply to S.M.R.

    Thanks for your reply S.M.R.

    Your comment about following the estimated VO2 max makes sense. I’d originally thought the fitness age was interesting since it probably was based on a broader data set. I’m still quite happy with the Forerunner 265 and the data and estimates it produces. I’d run for decades with Timex Ironman watches to manage my workouts. It’s fun to get the extra feedback during and after the workouts that I get now.

    Regards,

    John

  • 0 over 1 year ago in reply to MN Runner

    Hi John

    See this for some additional info. Kind Regards Stephen

    support.garmin.com/.../