What this covers
How to Increase VO2 Max and How to Improve VO2 Max?
VO2 Max measures how efficiently your cardiorespiratory system delivers oxygen to the muscles and how efficiently your muscles use the oxygen. Once you have established your baseline VO2 Max and Lactate Threshold, ECA Wellness will develop a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) program to improve each parameter. This video discusses improving VO2 Max, Lactate Threshold, and Endurance using heart rate training zones and a detailed high-intensity interval HIIT training program.
Timestamps: 00:00 Start 00:47 What is the VO2 Max Test 01:23 Oxygen Transport to Muscles 02:00 Understanding VO2 Max Equation 03:33 Best Factor to Improve VO2 Max? 04:32 Why Should You Improve VO2 MAX? 06:19 Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Exercise 07:43 Normal Values of VO2 Max and Lactate Threshold 09:30 Dr. Veronique Billat Training Protocol 12:32 How to Increase Your VO2 Max (1:1 interval) 14:12 How to Increase Your Lactate Threshold (4:1 interval)
VO2 Max has defined cardiac output times the amount of oxygen taken up by the muscle (A-VO2). Cardiac output is the amount of blood the heart pumps throughout the body in 1 minute, and A-VO2 is the amount of oxygen your muscle takes in. Cardiac output can also be described as stroke volume times heart rate.
Relevant Videos 1. Top 5 Reasons to do VO2 Max Test Watch NOW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lWyPVoj9sk
2. VO2 Max Explained Watch NOW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rv6gDdHtuQ0
Doctor Yogendra - Board-certified Physician Anesthesiologist and Medical Researcher
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Dr. Yeoh presents evidence-based interval training protocols to improve VO2 max and lactate threshold by targeting cardiac output and aerobic system efficiency, which are the primary trainable factors in endurance performance.
- Cardiac output (stroke volume × heart rate) accounts for 70-85% of VO2 max improvement, making stroke volume the most trainable factor since max heart rate is fixed
- Lactate threshold is dynamic and trainable by increasing aerobic system capacity at higher workloads, delaying anaerobic system contribution
- Specific interval training protocols (1:1 ratio for VO2 max, 3:1 or 4:1 for lactate threshold, plus Zone 2 work) with adequate recovery produce measurable adaptations
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Training at VO2 max intensity causes the cardiovascular system to adapt by increasing cardiac output through increased stroke volume, and training also develops more capillaries in and around muscles which increases blood flow and enhances lactic acid clearance, thereby increasing lactate threshold
“as your body increases its demand for oxygen from intense exercise your cardiovascular system begins an adaptive response to deliver more oxygen but increasing cardiac output through an increase in stroke volume another adaptive response to exercise and training is that you develop more capillaries in and around your muscles which allow increased blood flow to and from exercising muscles this increased blood flow enhances the clearance of lactic acid thus increasing your lactic threshold”
The 30/30 Version 1 protocol involves 30 seconds at VO2 max speed followed by 30 seconds of moderate jog recovery; Dr. Billat found that during the moderate jog phase, metabolism remains ramped up near VO2 max, resulting in better utilization and more efficient use of time compared to classic protocol
“the second protocol she developed was the 30 30 version one which involved you running on a treadmill for 30 seconds at vo2 max followed by a 30 second moderate jock recovery phase now what's interesting is dr. Bella found that during this moderate job phase that your metabolism was ramped up near your vo2 max which meant a better utilization and more efficient use of your time”
Zone 2 training (60-70% of maximum heart rate) should be added to training programs because it increases mitochondrial density, which leads to improved oxygen utilization, increased fat oxidation, and enhanced lactic acid clearance
“finally it is very important that you add zone to workouts which are 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate to your training program because this is the zone where you see an increase in mitochondrial density that leads to a improve in oxygen utilization and increase in fat oxidation and an increase in your lactic acid clearance”
Lactate threshold training should focus on increasing the aerobic system's ability to supply power at higher workloads, which reduces and delays the anaerobic system's contribution, thereby improving sustainable power output because the aerobic system is more efficient than anaerobic
“lactate threshold itself is trainable by increasing the ability of the aerobic system to supply power at higher workloads when you can reduce and delay the contribution of the anaerobic system sustainable power output is improved the reason is because as I mentioned earlier your anaerobic system isn't very efficient in providing energy compared to your aerobic system”
Both VO2 max and lactate threshold are limited and affected by genetics, age, and sex, making it difficult to compare values between individuals; athletes should establish their own baseline as a reference point rather than comparing to others
“it's important to remember that both your vo2 Max and lactate threshold are limited and affected by genetics age and sex so it's very difficult comparing values between people I always tell a please don't get caught up in what your bill to max value is and compare it to someone else you should first establish your baseline as a reference point for future comparisons”
Stroke volume is the major trainable factor in the VO2 max equation because heart rate has a fixed upper limit (maximum heart rate), and since cardiac output = stroke volume × heart rate, improving stroke volume is the key to improving VO2 max
“and your heart rate has a fixed upper limit known as the maximum heart rate then we can say that the major trainable factor in the vo2 max equation is your stroke volume”
A 2000 University of Tennessee study found that VO2 max improvements with training were primarily due to increases in cardiac output (oxygen delivery) rather than increases in oxygen utilization by muscles, meaning the cardiovascular system contributes 70-85% of VO2 max improvement
“in a paper published in 2000 at the University of Tennessee researchers found that increase in vo2 max with training was due primarily to an increase in cardiac output and not an increase in the amount of oxygen taken up by the muscles what this meant was that oxygen delivery to your muscles and tissues also known as your cardiac output was the most important factor and that the cardiovascular system contributed 70 to 85 percent of your Bo to max”
Even though VO2 max and lactate threshold are genetically determined, most people haven't reached their genetic potential, so there is substantial room to increase and improve both metrics
“even though lactate threshold and vo2 max are genetically determined most people haven't reached that potential so there's a lot of room to increase and improve your vo2 max”
As fitness level increases from VO2 max training, athletes can increase the duration of their interval training time blocks
“you will see as you're training and fitness level starts to increase that you can also start to increase the time intervals of your training”
As fitness improves from lactate threshold training, athletes can progressively increase the time intervals of their training, following the same adaptive progression principle as VO2 max training
“and just like the vo2 max training as your body starts to get more fit and your conditioning gets better you can start to increase the time intervals of your training”
The 30/30 Version 2 or 60/60 protocol involves 60 seconds at VO2 max speed followed by 30 seconds of moderate jog recovery, repeated until complete exhaustion
“the third protocol she developed is commonly known as the 30 30 version to the 60 60 protocol and what this entail was you run at your vo2 max for 60 seconds followed by a 30-second moderate jog recovery phase and you would do this protocol until you are completely exhausted”
Recovery (rest periods) between interval sets is critical; a 2018 British study found that longer recovery durations facilitate higher training loads and greater training adaptations
“I believe that the period of rest is critical and that you should spend a reasonable amount of time resting between each set now in 2018 British researchers published a paper suggesting that longer durations of recovery facilitated higher training loads and greater training adaptations”
Dr. Veronique Billat developed velocity at VO2 max (vVO2 max)—the speed at which someone reaches maximum aerobic capacity—as a better predictor of VO2 max improvement, lactate threshold improvement, and endurance performance than absolute VO2 max values
“dr. Bella believed the concept of velocity vo2 max for B vo2 max which is the speed you're running at when you hit your maximum aerobic capacity or vo2 max and she said this was a better predictor of improvement of vo2 max lactate threshold and endurance performance”
The classic Billat protocol involves running on a treadmill for 3 minutes at vVO2 max speed, followed by 3 minutes of light jogging for recovery, repeated until complete exhaustion, and Dr. Billat demonstrated experimentally that 9 weeks of this protocol increases VO2 max and lactate threshold by 3%
“the first protocol she developed is commonly referred to as the classic Villa protocol and it involves you running on a treadmill for three minutes at your V vo2 Max followed by a three-minute light jog to get your heart rate down and you do this until you are completely exhausted and dr. Bella showed experimentally that when someone followed this protocol for nine weeks they were able to increase their vo2 Max and their lactic threshold by three percent”
In unfit individuals, lactate threshold typically occurs at approximately 60% of maximum heart rate, while in very fit and conditioned individuals, lactate threshold can be close to 90% of maximum heart rate, demonstrating that lactate threshold heart rate is dynamic and trainable
“in unfit individuals it is very common to see lactate thresholds and only 60% of the maximum heart rate whereas in very fit and condition individuals the lactate threshold can be close to 90% of your maximum heart rate so what this means is that the your lactate threshold heart rate is dynamic and trainable”
The aerobic system breaks down one molecule of glucose into 36-38 molecules of ATP (the body's energy currency), while the anaerobic system only produces 2 ATP per glucose molecule, making the aerobic system approximately 18-19 times more efficient
“the aerobic system is a lot like Amazon's in-house delivery trucks because they're very efficient and they break down one molecule of glucose to 36 to 38 molecules of ATP which is the energy currency in the body but as you start to exercise more your oxygen utilization increases and your oxygen demand increases your body then starts to tap into the anaerobic system to help out with making ATP but the problem with the anaerobic system is that it only makes two ATP for every one molecule of glucose”
The basic principle for improving both VO2 max and lactate threshold is interval training, and many different protocols and recommendations have proven effective for different people
“the basic principle in improving and increasing both your vo2 Max and your lactate threshold is interval training there are a lot of different recommendations and a lot of different protocols that have worked for different people”
VO2 max measures how efficient your cardiorespiratory system is in delivering oxygen to muscles and how efficient muscles are in using that oxygen
“vo2 max gives us a way to measure how efficient your cardio respiratory system is in delivering the oxygen to the muscles and how efficient your muscles are in using the oxygen”
The VO2 max equation is: VO2 max = cardiac output × arterial-venous oxygen difference in muscles, which can be rearranged as VO2 max = stroke volume × heart rate × arterial-venous oxygen difference
“vo2 max equals cardiac output times the arterial venous difference of oxygen in the muscle cardiac output is defined as the amount of blood pumped out by the heart throughout the body in one minute and the arterial venous difference of oxygen in the muscles is the amount of oxygen your muscles utilize cardiac output can also be defined as stroke volume times your heart rate”
Three critical factors to consider when developing interval training protocols are: (1) the intensity of the interval, (2) the number of intervals performed, and (3) the rest period between each interval
“there are three important factors to remember and keep in mind about interval training when you're developing your own protocols though first being the intensity of the interval the second factor is the number of intervals you're doing and the third factor is the rest period between each interval”
Lactic acid is a byproduct of anaerobic glucose metabolism, and as lactic acid accumulates during intense exercise, fatigue increases; anaerobic metabolism is useful primarily for short bursts of energy like the final meters of a marathon or powerlifting
“the other problem with the anaerobic system is that it makes the byproduct of its metabolism of glucose called lactic acid and as you increase the amount of lactic acid you quickly start to fatigue anaerobic metabolism is really good for the short bursts of energy such as if you have powerlifting or if you are a marathon runner and you've got the last couple of metres left of your run and you need that extra boost of energy”
Interval training is considered the key method to improve both VO2 max and lactate threshold, though there is no universal consensus on the best specific protocol
“even though there isn't a consensus on the best method to improve both your vo2 Max and your lactate threshold the understanding most physiologists is that some sort of interval training is the key”
Dr. Yeoh's own VO2 max training protocol uses a 1:1 work-to-rest ratio at 10-minute intervals: 1 minute at 90-100% maximum heart rate (Zone 5) followed by 1 minute rest/cooldown, repeated 5 times for 10 minutes total, followed by 5-minute recovery phase before resuming the next interval block, continuing until complete exhaustion
“when trying to develop and improve the OBO to max my protocol uses a one to one ratio of maximal heart rate exercises to rest ratio at 10-minute intervals so I take my heart rate to zone 5 for the ninety to a hundred percent of my maximal heart rate for one minute followed by a one minute rest and cooldown period it is important that you maintain your heart rate in zone 5 so that you don't fatigue and end your workout early I repeat the sequence five times for a total of 10 minutes per interval block and then this is followed by a five-minute recovery phase and then I resume the second block of my interval training now I do this until I am completely exhausted”
For lactate threshold training, Dr. Yeoh uses either a 3:1 or 4:1 work-to-rest ratio with exercises maintained in Zone 4 (80-90% of maximum heart rate) to adapt the body to dealing with increased lactic acid and to efficiently clear lactic acid
“when training my lactate threshold my protocol is either a three to one or a four to one work to rest ratio and the exercises are going to be maintained in zone four or the 80 to 90 percent of my maximum heart rate the principle behind these ratios and the lactic acid training is to get your body to adapt to dealing with an increase in lactic acid and to efficiently start to clear out the lactic acid”
In Dr. Yeoh's experience, 5 minutes of recovery is adequate between VO2 max interval blocks to allow return to performing the next block of intervals
“I have found that when I do my one-to-one vo2 max interval training that five minutes is adequate for recovery and to get me back to doing my next block off intervals”
Dr. Billat's research and tests were conducted in a controlled laboratory setting, which is an important caveat for applying her protocols in real-world training conditions
“but it's important to keep in mind that the tests and studies that she did were in a control setting in a lab environment”