I know I'm not in the best shape in the world but my forerunner 230 is showing my vo2 max as 41 and is not improving at all over the last 2 months. Is anyone else seeing any errors and know of what to do to fix them? Last run at 9:30 pace for 4.5 miles at 6200ft. I know it could just be me but seems a little low and I would think it would move slightly between runs.
Are you running with a heart rate strap? If so, is it giving 'reasonable' values? Are you max and min heart rate set correctly? It'll be something like that!
VO2max is "based on a database of 2690 freely performed runs from 79 runners whose VO2max was tested four times during their 6-9 -month preparation period for a marathon."
If you run hills, surfaces other than roads, at elevation, etc., it is likely that your calculated VO2max ( when compared to the database) is lower than it should be.
Are you running with a heart rate strap? If so, is it giving 'reasonable' values? Are you max and min heart rate set correctly? It'll be something like that!
CW
Yeah heart rate strap is good and reasonable values. No large spikes and 154 average for 4.5 miles at 9:32/mi pace is yielding 41 vo2 max. I am running is colorado (6200 ft) and it is somewhat hilly around my house but still seams like a low vo2 max. Also it has never changed once for 2 months.
Thanks for the first beat white paper GM that explains some.
Just a question - is your pace improving or not? Not your fit or general impression, but the one the device sees?
Just trying to understand if there is a ground of expecting the value growing except time passed?
PS, I have seen the change in max oxygen consumption, starting with 43 on the first run (obviously incorrect - was the first run after the rest and an easy one), then going down to 41 and growing up to 43 during next 1.5 months
From performance point of view it was something like progressing from 7.30/km to 6.40/km for easy run and from 5:30/km to 5:00/km for threshold (and the progress I assume shall be good since i am around 3rd month of running overall, beginners usually progress good)
my vo2 max is 41 and not increasing at all. I have about the same situation. Just started running about 3 months ago. My first reading was 41. My pace has improved as well as my distance/time I can run. My VO2 max has stayed the same.
Are you wearing a heart rate strap? Compare a run done a few months ago with one recently. Pick one that's the same route, done in the same time. Is your average heartrate lower? If so, then post the activities for us to see. Also what's your max heart rate and what are the TE scores for your runs?
You do not need HRV to calculate VO2max. I have Scosche Rhythm+ and I use FR230 since Christmas. My first VO2max estimate was 47, then it faded to 46, during January it came back to 47 and yesterday it skipped to 48. My pace improved a bit, starting at 6:15/km at the end of December to 5:45/km now; I usually run in Z3/Z4 and I do not avoid ascents or descents (even not steep ones).
What heart rate zone do you run in? I've heard that it is needed to spend some time in Z4 to evaluate it.
Thanks for the correction. I'm guessing it's something to do with the intensity of the runs then, what's the TE for the activities? I know if won't calculate with a TE of 5.0 (that usually points to having max heart rate too low). As you think, I reckon it has to be above a certain value of intensity to calculate VO2Max as well.
