18/05/2026
So I did a thing last week 👀
I went and did a VO2 Max test…
Which basically meant wearing a mask, running on a treadmill & gradually increasing the speed until I couldn’t go anymore 😮💨
For anyone wondering…
VO2 Max is essentially how much oxygen your body can use during exercise
Typically the higher the number, the stronger your aerobic fitness tends to be
BUT it is just one data point in many variables, kind of like max heart rate is one data point but doesn’t give the full picture
Now I would say most people do NOT need a VO2 Max test
Including myself to be honest 😂 I’m just a data nerd and was curious to see what my result would be compared to what my watch suggests
What I learned…
*My top end fitness is actually pretty solid
*I tolerate hard efforts quite well
*Sustaining harder aerobic efforts for longer still has room to improve (shock!)
In short, I’m good at suffering, but could be more efficient in many other ways 😂
But it all makes sense coming from more of a strength/powerlifting background 👌🏼
Along with the data point and weaknesses highlighted, I also now have some homework 🤓
Overall:
*Really cool experience
*Very humbling
*Very informative
Would I recommend it?
If you love data, performance and understanding your body better: absolutely 🙌🏼
Do you NEED it to get fit? Definitely not 🙅🏻♂️