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It can be called something different on different smartwatches.
What does VO2 Max stand for?
Firstly, lets break down what VO2 Max actually stands for.
What does VO2 Max actually mean?
In simplest terms, its about breathing and what happens during the breathing process while youre exercising.
When you breathe in, youre taking in oxygen.
That oxygen is used to create energy to fire up the body and organs to properly function.
One of those energy forms created is called adenosine triphosphate, or ATP.
While youre exercising, the body demands more oxygen to turn into those ATP reserves.
Why is knowing your VO2 Max useful?
VO2 Max is a useful stat because it offers a window into your cardiovascular fitness and aerobic endurance.
Its going to tell you about your capabilities to tackle tough training schedules, events and races.
Its not just about fitness here either.
So, how accurate are those estimates?
Its also generated from exercises lasting 10 minutes or longer.
Garmins VO2 Max score ranges from 0-95.
The highest VO2 Max ever recorded was Bjrn Dhlie, an Olympic skier, with 96.
Fitbit breaks scores down into one of six levels.
Where can you view VO2 Max on your smartwatch?
Again, this entirely depends on what smartwatch youre using to venture to view your VO2 Max stats.
you could also view it on the watch from the Training Status widget.
Why are VO2 Max scores different across smartwatches?
These can be big factors as to why you might see different numbers across watches.
How can you improve VO2 Max?
That is the big question and one that has a few simple answers.
This strengthens muscles and helping the body to adapt to handle more intense exercise.
There have beenstudies conductedexamining how this key in of training can give VO2 Max estimates a boost.
