We hear and read a lot about VO2 Max in cycling. It’s a term that’s been a feature in common cycling parlance for decades. Whether that’s in relation to cycling fitness and adaptations in our bodies as a result of training load. Or when hearing about some of the superhuman physiology professional cyclists and athletes generally possess. Talk of an off-the-charts VO2 Max number has regularly featured when discussing the sport’s top riders.
But what actually is VO2 Max? If someone asked me to write a short snappy sentence or two explaining VO2 Max and what it is, I’m not sure I could do it. It’s not something I actively try to increase during training and I’ve never had my own VO2 Max measured. I suspect most cyclists, at least apart from those being tested in sports labs or by qualified coaches regularly, will have much of an idea of what their VO2 Max is or how it impacts their riding.
A lot of competitive riders will have access to a power meter, be that in its usual form or via a smart indoor trainer. Of those riders, most will ride to power and focus most of their structured sessions around the power numbers displayed on their bike computers. But how many of them pay attention to VO2 Max and what it means for their riding?
Instead of trying to come up with answers myself, I decided to speak to a qualified cycling coach about VO2 Max, what it actually is, and how it affects our cycling.
I spoke to the owner of Custom Cycle Coaching, Dr Tom Kirk who has a PhD in sports physiology and Nutrition. Kirk was happy to give me some answers and share some of his expert knowledge. Straight off the bat, I wanted to get an answer from the horse’s mouth on how VO2 Max can be defined.
“VO2 Max is the maximum amount of oxygen the body can consume during maximal exercise and is measured in litres per minute (L/Min) or, is more commonly expressed relative to body mass as ml/kg/min,” he said.
I now had my snappy, short sentence. VO2 Max is the maximum amount of oxygen the body can consume during maximal exercise. Kirk also expanded on some of the factors that determine VO2 Max and why it may vary from athlete to athlete and in different sports that use more or indeed different muscles than cycling.
“One of the main factors that influences VO2 Max is the amount of muscle using oxygen. This is why larger athletes (of the same ‘fitness’), men compared to women or sports that use more…
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