VO2 Max and Lifespan: What You Need to Know

That Little-Known Health Number Everyone Should Track

It turns out that the most important health number is not in your blood tests or on a scale but floating around in your lungs — and it's almost always ignored. VO2 Max is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can utilize, and it's "how long you're going to live." Your doctor probably checks your cholesterol and blood sugar, but almost nobody checks this. Every breath you take floods your lungs with oxygen, which your heart then pumps to every living cell. The more oxygen your body moves, the longer you live. If your VO2 Max is low, then poor fitness means you're not moving the oxygen efficiently in the first place, choking the engine that keeps you alive, like smoking, but without the health warnings.

A Silent Killer

Just a few years ago, a study of 120,000 people found that low fitness was a bigger risk of death than smoking, diabetes, or heart disease. But here's the kicker: one of these problems gets a health warning. The other gets ignored. Smoking poisons your oxygen. Poor fitness means you can barely move it in the first place. Why is there no health warning for ignoring fitness?

The Beauty of VO2 Max

Is VO2 Max a Fad? Everyone cares about "VO2 Max," and that’s why it’s been co-opted by all the "cards" apps out there, and the Netflix show Stranger Things centered on an unsuspecting teenaged protagonist, and the popular prefab workout or fitness classes out there. Be wary though: the term "VO2 Max" might have become just another buzzword, but in the science there has been substantial research into the important effects on longevity, especially on those who are sedentary, obese, or suffer from chronic diseases. Dr. Mike Egan wrote that the value of VO2 Max training was a "a proven method for improving cardiovascular fitness and increasing the body's ability to utilize oxygen," yet it doesn't hinge on "crushing yourself every time you work out." The creators of the "The Biggest Loser" referenced that "the average VO2 Max reading for a moderately active 30-year-old is 40. But athletes can have VO2 Max readings over 80." For those with a sedentary lifestyle, obesity, or chronic disease, improved cardiovascular fitness can even reduce mortality risk. There's More to Oxygen The FACT is: Your VO2 Max isn't just about how much oxygen you can suck in; it's about how efficiently your body uses it. Your muscles need oxygen to produce energy, and your heart and lungs work together to deliver it. The better they work, the more oxygen your muscles get, and the more energy you have. In a study of 120,000 people, low fitness was a bigger risk of death than smoking, diabetes, or heart disease. Poor fitness means you can barely move oxygen in the first place, compared to smoking which poisons your oxygen. Exercise's Impact on VO2 That's where exercise comes in. When you work out, your body learns to use oxygen more efficiently. It strengthens your heart and lungs, improves your circulation, and builds more capillaries in your muscles to deliver oxygen. The more you train, the more your VO2 Max improves. And the more it improves, the longer you live. The process can sound like a no-brainer, But the big takeaway: you’re training your lifespan.

A New Way to Train Your Lifespan

The results from 120,000 people show that being in a low fitness zone has the same consequences as other bad lifestyle choices, like smoking. Poor fitness means you can barely move it in the first place, but that never stopped you from improving your health. When you work out, your body learns to use oxygen more efficiently. Your VO2 Max improves, and the more it improves, the longer you live. Maybe even more promising, the good news from the creator? Your lifespan isn't fixed. "You're training it or losing it right now." Training your lifespan should not be complicated. It just takes a few minutes of any type of exercise or HIIT (high-intensity interval training). When you train, you’re not just improving your VO2 Max, you are training your lifespan.

The Training Block

What is your best bet for a training block? Four minutes hard. Hard enough that holding a conversation is a struggle. Three minutes easy. Four rounds. Two or three times a week. That's it. Make it a 20-minute workout, and this new knowledge should help you treat your VO2 Max like the vital health number it is. There's never been a better time to view fitness as a tool for longevity. It is about improvement, not perfection. Training your VO2 Max doesn’t need to be complicated or addictive, but rather it can be simple, and rewarding in a way that sticks. Life Goals Send it to the one person you'd like around a lot longer.