| rdfs:comment | - VO2 Max is defined as the highest rate of oxygen consumption attainable during maximal or exhaustive exercise. The terms VO2max, aerobic power, aerobic capacity, and maximal oxygen uptake are all terms used interchangeably. VO2max is widely accepted as the standard gauge of cardiorespiratory fitness. It is most often expressed in milliliters per kilogram of body weight per minute, , because oxygen and energy needs differ relative to size. It can also be expressed relative to body surface area, however, which may be more accurate when comparing children and oxygen uptake between sexes. The supply of oxygen is dictated by cardiac output and the amount of oxygen in the blood, which is determined by the amount of hemoglobin in the blood. It is also dependent on how well the tissue or muscle ex
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| abstract | - VO2 Max is defined as the highest rate of oxygen consumption attainable during maximal or exhaustive exercise. The terms VO2max, aerobic power, aerobic capacity, and maximal oxygen uptake are all terms used interchangeably. VO2max is widely accepted as the standard gauge of cardiorespiratory fitness. It is most often expressed in milliliters per kilogram of body weight per minute, , because oxygen and energy needs differ relative to size. It can also be expressed relative to body surface area, however, which may be more accurate when comparing children and oxygen uptake between sexes. The supply of oxygen is dictated by cardiac output and the amount of oxygen in the blood, which is determined by the amount of hemoglobin in the blood. It is also dependent on how well the tissue or muscle extracts the oxygen. Oxygen consumption increases with exercise intensity. However, a point is reached where exercise intensity can continue to increase without the associated rise in oxygen consumption. The point at which oxygen consumption plateaus is the VO2max or a person's maximal aerobic capacity. VO2max is more useful as an indicator of a person's aerobic potential or upper limit than as a predictor of success in endurance events. This is because there are other factors besides VO2max that influence a competitor's success, such as mental attitude (ability to tolerate pain), running (or other activity) economy (how efficiently one runs), and lactate threshold (fastest pace that can be maintained without accumulating large amounts of lactic acid in the blood). A higher maximal oxygen consumption translates into a greater submaximal work capacity, which in turn means greater caloric expenditure in the same time while exercising or doing physical labor. The average male aged 20-29 has a VO2 max of 44 to 51 and the average female aged 20-29 has a VO2 max of 35 to 43. (Lance Armstrong's VO2 max is 85 milliliters per kg.) The highest ever recorded VO2 max is 96 ml/kg/min, attributed to Bjørn Dæhlie, and 77 ml/kg/min in women. Both were cross-country skiers. The world-record test was purportedly taken when Bjørn was out of season; his physiologist, Erlend Hem, has stated it's very likely that Dæhlie could pass the 100 ml/kg/min score if the test was taken mid-season. Figures in tables from Astrand, 1960
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