I Took My VO2 Max From 'Fair' To 'Excellent' With This Running Plan

I’ll never beat the “runners can’t shut up about running” allegations – I’m always rattling on about how ‘Jeffing’ upped my race pace and how helpful strength workouts have been for my recovery. 

And recently, my beleaguered friends have had to hear far more about my VO2 max than they’d probably like to.

I can’t help it, OK? I’ve taken mine from “fair ” to “outstanding” in a matter of months, meaning my pace, stamina, and distance have all improved.

Here’s why runners care so much about the metric, and how I upped mine.

What does VO2 max mean?

Your VO2 max refers to how much oxygen your body uses while exercising (the V part is for ‘volume,’ while the O2 bit stands for ‘oxygen’).

When you absorb more oxygen, your red blood cells get more of the gas, meaning they can bring it to more of your cells. 

Your cells need oxygen to create adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which gives your muscles more energy. 

VO2 max is often used as a shorthand to gauge someone’s fitness, as the bigger it is, the more you’re able to push yourself. It has also been linked to longevity. 

For runners, improving your VO2 max (which is measured in mls of oxygen per kg of body weight per minute of exercise) is linked to more efficient use of oxygen, which makes running further and faster easier. 

Professional athletes measure theirs in lab settings, but the rest of us can use online tools using their pulse or (as in my case) a heartbeat-monitoring smartwatch.

Mine calculates my VO2 max in-app, though I like to cross-reference the post-run heart rate data it gives me with other calculators to be sure.

Your VO2 max is not set in stone. It can be improved.

How can runners improve their VO2 max?

Harvard Health says that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can give your VO2 max a boost, as can switching up your workout routine. 

When I began running again, my VO2 max was “fair” for my age, gender, and weight at 33 ml/kg/min.

But I have since incorporated HIIT moves like mountain climbers to my resistance routine (I strength train four days a week).

I have also begun ‘Jeffing’ on my midweek 5k, a “walk run walk” practice that paradoxically shaves minutes off my pace. That means my tempo runs are faster and more intense, which helps to improve your VO2 max.

Once a week, I begin my gym sessions with a 20-minute fartlek, or interval, session. That means I walk for two minutes, run at my ideal race pace for four minutes, walk another two minutes, and keep it going until I’ve had four runs.

This higher-intensity training is also linked to an improved VO2 max.

And I also do one slow, long-ish (10km to half marathon) a week. This is zone two training, meaning I run at a conversational pace. It is not the most efficient way to directly boost your VO2 max. 

However, it does build the basis for smarter oxygen consumption by increasing your mitochondrial density (mitochondria help turn oxygen to ATP) and can even increase capillary (blood vessel) growth for better performance. 

My VO2 max is now 51, or “excellent” for my age, gender, and weight.

My VO2 max plan:

Bear in mind that my leap in VO2 max came partly from going from zero back to a dedicated running routine, and like all of us, has an upper limit. 

Still, I’ve been amazed by how quickly my numbers improved and, in turn, how much easier running feels now.