VO2MAX & LONGEVITY | Why It’s NOT Just For Elite Endurance Athletes

VO2max is a metric most with a smart watch are now familiar with, and is synonymous with elite endurance athletes like cyclists, runners and triathletes. But, what relevance does it have to the every day person? Here’s a breakdown of some very important need to knows about how our learnings from elite endurance athletes has led to uncovering why VO2max is such a strong predictor of how well you’ll live out the rest of your life.
References mentioned (in order):
[1] Strasser B, Burtscher M. Survival of the fittest: VO2max, a key predictor of longevity?. Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark. 2018 Mar 1;23(8):1505-16.
[2] Laukkanen JA, Zaccardi F, Khan H, Kurl S, Jae SY, Rauramaa R. Long-term change in cardiorespiratory fitness and all-cause mortality: a population-based follow-up study. InMayo Clinic Proceedings 2016 Sep 1 (Vol. 91, No. 9, pp. 1183-1188).
[3] Mandsager K, Harb S, Cremer P, Phelan D, Nissen SE, Jaber W. Association of cardiorespiratory fitness with long-term mortality among adults undergoing exercise treadmill testing. JAMA network open. 2018 Oct 5;1(6):e183605-.