How to make an Activity not count toward VO2max estimate?

Did you copy the new activity from the Run or Cycle profile? Try creating a new activity instead, by selecting Add > Other.

If that doesn't work, try copying the Trail Run profile. That profile is known to not affect your VO2Max.

Note that there's a known bug with copying profiles using Add > Copy Activity which grabs the data fields from a different activity (the last one that was selected). I know it doesn't really matter in your case, but you might get unexpected resutls if you had previously selected Pool Swim or something.

I would copy a profile (e.g. trail run) a different way:
1) Add Trail Run
2) Scroll to Trail Run
3) Long-press Left
4) Select Copy Activity

Thanks for your reply Will.

I went through the motion to add a new activity just now, to jog my memory on how I did it. I did in fact use Add -> Other. It then prompted me to give this activity a name. I'm not sure how to tell if this affects VO2 Max or not - clearly it did, but I haven't found a setting for that.

I suppose I'll try to delete the activity as I'm not aware of a retroactive way to remove the VO2 Max evaluation from it. Then I'll re-create this type of activity copying from the Trail Run profile for future use. I hope this will 'reset' my VO2 Max estimate without having to clear all settings from the watch.

Your VO2max data will eventually sort itself out as you use the device. The issues I'm having with my HR data are doing all sorts of things to my VO2max.

Why don't you just add the native Trail Run profile and use that if you don't want a VO2 Max calculation.

That said I don't see how you could have got VO2 Max from a driving activity - would be going way too fast for running and there was always some sort of basic check in this regard in the algorithm.

There's no point in deleting the activity, because it won't reset your estimate. Like philipshambrook said, it'll sort itself out eventually.

I don't think there's any way to know for sure whether an activity affects your VO2 Max except to see for yourself (and to see what others are saying). Pretty sure trail running doesn't, since people complain about that one not affecting VO2 MAX.

If you want to reset your VO2Max right now, your only option is a factory reset. While you can restore most (but not all) settings, I don't think it's worth it. (You'll have to wait a week for an initial reading anyway.)

That said I don't see how you could have got VO2 Max from a driving activity - would be going way too fast for running and there was always some sort of basic check in this regard in the algorithm.

I'm not sure if you'll be able to see my activity from this URL: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1928755907

There's an "Average Moving Pace" metric that shows 9:27min/mi. That's certainly within the realm of possibility for a run, and perhaps one of the main data sets the VO2 Max algorithm accounts for. During this driving event I left the activity logger running while I was parked in grid between laps that were several minutes apart. I suppose while I was walking around the car checking tire pressures and watching competitors, it counted that walking movement in with the Average Moving Pace and helped lower it to something feasible for a human.

It shows my VO2 Max as 48.

Thanks for the help everyone.

That is set to private.

Yes you are right that the average pace could be a run but I thought the algorithm was a bit smarter than that. Maybe not!

Anyway as stated should sort itself after you been for some actual runs.