VO2Max not changing after a whole year

I get them.

They're fixed at 35.

Here's the last 4 weeks, 12 weeks and 6 months for reference.

My max was 180. And yes, they were pretty difficult intervals, hence why I could only sustain it for 20 minutes. This was immediately following (as a BRICS) with my spin intervals class. So I was feeling pretty dead.

I give it my weight every month. I did lose some weight over that 12 months (but not a huge amount, as i also gained muscle). My VO2Max has been stagnated at 35.

I was doing alot of steady tempo runs outdoors during my 3-month triathlon training, and it was registering them, but again my VO2Max never changed. It did identify the type of activity (tempo, VO2Max, recovery, base). but again none of that every changed my VO2Max.

That's a really good point about cooldowns. The only times I've ever stopped my runs straight after I finished (pre-cooldown) is during races to check my timing haha. Great point. Thats happened a few times - a few triathlons, and a few adventure races.

My percieved fitness is much improved compared to 12 months ago. As mentioned above, I can now run hills I used to gasp walking up. I can finish 6-12 hour adventure races, and I've done multiple triathlons. I used to be a couch potato who rarely worked out 2 days a week.

I just don't believe My VO2Max hasn't changed during that time, particularly during training peaks (12-week programs for different events, or high-altitude trekking).

You will not see any changes to the historic data. What is uploaded is uploaded and can't be changed.

You got a VO2 max value yesterday and before that it was 14 days ago so something changed or it was just that your activitiy met the requirements.

Maybe you need to change some other parameter. NickMN suggests that your max HR could be up to 195. Test to change your max HR to 195 and see how that affects the VO2 max calculation. It should affect it.

I'm not expecting historical data to change. But I am expecting it to move at some point in a year of progressive training.

It's impossible that my VO2Max is the same as it was when i started training. All of my real-world results reflect that.

Based on the conversation here I changed my height, my weight, and my VO2Max manually and still nothing has changed.

Which makes me think... Is my watch broken? A hardware issue?

Or is it a software issue with Garmin?

In either case I bought this watch to track progress and if it's stuck on year-old data points I may as well throw it out.

You are getting values and everything seems to be working except that it isn't changing, so there isn't any obvious error with the watch.

How have you changed your training? Are you running faster at same or lower heart rate compared to one year ago, or same pace, but with a lower heart rate? Or is it still the same? If you are performing the same, the watch thinks that you still are at the same point even if you feel a lot better and stronger. It will only use the values it can measure.

Try Runalyze and then you can see the VO2 max from the Garmin fit file displayed there to two decimals. Its useful to see what is happening and what is being recorded (if anything). Also as the display is to two decimals its helpful.

NOTE you must look at the VO2 from Fit File  field  (not the Runalyze calculated VO2 which is a different calculation).

Try to answer the questions and suggestions mentioned, and if possible in a quantativie data way, repeating the same questions/concerns with watch and software won't help get to the fix or cause.  just trying to help and rule things out.

What is your watch firmware?  Have you done a hard restart (upper left button for 35seconds)??  This problem you mention was a problem and was "corrected" in a somewhat recent firmware (most recent https://forums.garmin.com/sports-fitness/running-multisport/f/forerunner-945/339139/forerunner-945-software-update-13-00 ).  mine also is fairly stuck... yet my bike vo2 keeps rising!

Do you run typically run in a downtown / metro with high rise buildings? 

Do you run in hilly terrain where steady pace & HR for more than 10minutes is difficult?

Do you get "Performance Condition" results on your activity charts?  Hi and low depending on day/conditions/stress/heat? 

What is your easy and tempo pace right now and what is your HR ranges then?  What were they say 1yr and 18 months ago? 

If you were tired in your interval workout and go HR to 180... 188 is likely not your HR max!  HR max is best in a short race on a warm/hot day, with lots of adrenaline.  I can't get my HR above 185 hardly in training 5x800m intervals but finish kick in a 5k 194.  have you updated HR?

Look at your heart rate training zones within activities from now, 6months ago and 12months ago and 18months ago... are the HR zones the same?  If Garmin is adjusting your max HR, could be that it is preventing accurate update of vo2.  Set HR max manually to 195.  if not the same .... report here what the zone 5 setting is (ie "zone 5 > 165 ")

What was your weight change in weight on the scale, 12mo ago vs now?

I came to post my own thread on this issue but since this is exactly the same thing I am seeing I would like to chime in. I have had the watch for several years and it never budges off of 32. The only thing I can see is the issue that someone mentioned of my max heart rate not being measured. When I go in to the connect App it shows my max as 173 and it allows me to edit that, is there another value stored elsewhere?

Otherwise I also can't believe what I am seeing. Today for instance I was over 70% of my max HR for almost an hour, no change, and it hasn't changed in literally years. It does not seem to matter what I do or how often I do it. I run outside, I never lose the GPS signal, I checked I am not in Ultra Trac mode. I am not using a chest strap.

What it comes down to is I don't care about the current number, if it's true it's true. But I want to reset it to it's original out of the box state so it can be recalculated from scratch. Is there a way to do this without resetting the entire watch?