I recently replaced my Garmin with the Vivoactive 3 and I have been on several treadmill runs since however whilst the watch itself will show my most recent Vo2 score when I go on to the Vo2 Max on Garmin Connect on the app or on the dashboard online it only shows my Vo2 score from several months from an old watch. All other data from the runs is loading and syncing onto Connect as it should. Is there a setting I need to change or is this a fault or for some reason will it only transfer a Vo2 max score from an outdoor run and not a treadmill run? Thanks for any advice
Hi, you can stop an activity and keep the app open. After 1,5 minutes it will tell you the resting pulse. This is afaik the base for Vo2 max calculation. In my last attempts there were crazy results, like 140bpm drops (I should be dead then) or 3-5 bpm drops (like my heartrate would not change after a run).
Until that wont work, the VO2 max cannot be calculated. My last update was on November 1st and I did several runs and workouts until now.
VO2 max got nothing to do with any distance. It is the amount of oxygen, your body is capable to absorb. The measurement is just a guess, because to be exact, you must measure the VO2 in and CO2 out amount (with a mask, or something).
Garmin tries to calculate that with measuring your fitness level. And this is done by counting how many bpm you heart-rate lowers after a workout. And maybe with some other information (weight, size, ect.) and proprietary calculations.
I know its got nothing to do with distance, but it does require accurate stats and so from the FR 235 manual [h=1]Getting Your VO2 Max. Estimate for Running[/h] This feature requires a heart rate monitor.
For the most accurate estimate, complete the user profile setup (Setting Up Your User Profile), and set your maximum heart rate (Setting Your Heart Rate Zones). The estimate may seem inaccurate at first. The device requires a few runs to learn about your running performance.
[h=1]Getting Your VO2 Max. Estimate[/h] The device requires heart rate data and a timed 15 minute brisk walk or run to display your VO2 max. estimate.
Hold the touchscreen.
Select My Stats > VO2 Max.
If you have already recorded a 15 minute brisk walk or run outdoors, your VO2 max. estimate may appear. The device displays the date your VO2 max. estimate was last updated. The device updates your VO2 max. estimate each time you complete an outdoor walk or run of 15 minutes or longer. You can manually start a VO2 max. test to get an updated estimate.
To start a VO2 max. test, swipe up, and select Test Now.
Follow the on-screen instructions to get your VO2 max. estimate.
The VO2 max. test takes about 15 minutes. A message appears when the test is complete.
The Firstbeat algorithms require HR and pace to develop a Vo2Max score. Pace on a treadmill is subject to calibration of either the internal sensors in the watch or an attached foot pod. Outdoor pace derived from GPS data is something that they can determine more accurately and consistently so it is the only method that they will take into account.
As Wikipedia says, there is one measurement and at least 5 estimation methods: Measurement
Fick equation
Estimation
Uth–Sørensen–Overgaard–Pedersen estimation
Cooper test
Multi-stage fitness test
Rockport fitness walking test
Firstbeat method
It seems, that Garmin uses different estimations on different devices. The Uth-Soerenson-... takes the max heartrate and your age. The 15 minutes run sounds like the Cooper-Test. The possibility to estimate the VO2 by walking, will be the Rockport test.
Whatever, it is an estimation and nothing that will be helpful to me (personally) in any way. Due to my fitnesslevel I'm between 48-53. Thats just a number. More meaningful is comparing my pace and avg. heartrate on a run. And the best factor is your coenesthesis :)
I had similar problem when switching from Vivosmart 3 to Vivoactive 3. First Vo2 did not update for several weeks in the app and Garmin Connect. You could see the value in the VA3 though. It just did not update it to the app and to the website graph.
Then I went back to Vivosmart 3 and it started to update again. At some stage I removed both of the device registration from the Garmin connect and Garmin express. And registrated them again.
After that both of the devices seem to update the Vo2. Value goes up and down (even on same day) depending which device uploaded the data the last time.
So it might be worth while to try:
1. unregister the old device from Garmin connect (and Garmin express) and test for a while. If nothing happens, 2. unregister Vivoactive 3 and re-register it again
Thanks everyone for your help. Since my post I have completed two outdoor runs and the Vo2 does seem to have updated on Connect now so I think problem solved. Thanks
