VO₂ Max Tracking

Monitor cardio fitness and mortality risk marker

What is VO₂ Max?

VO₂ Max (maximal oxygen uptake) is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during intense exercise, measured in milliliters per kilogram of body weight per minute (mL/kg/min).

It's considered the gold standard measure of aerobic fitness and cardiovascular capacity.

Why VO₂ Max Matters

VO₂ Max is a strong predictor of all-cause mortality - one of the most powerful markers of overall health and longevity:

  • Higher VO₂ Max associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease and death
  • Reflects combined efficiency of lungs, heart, blood vessels, and muscles
  • Declines with age and inactivity, but can be improved with training
  • Used to assess fitness level and track training adaptations

Apple Watch VO₂ Max Accuracy

Important: Wrist-based VO₂ Max estimates are useful for tracking trends but may underestimate lab-measured values.

Recent validation studies (PLOS ONE 2025) show Apple Watch VO₂ Max estimates have non-trivial error compared to indirect calorimetry (gold standard lab testing) (PLOS ONE 2025).

What This Means:

  • Absolute values may be inaccurate - Your Apple Watch VO₂ estimate may differ from lab testing
  • Trends are still valuable - Changes in VO₂ Max over time reflect fitness improvements/declines
  • Use for relative comparisons - Track your progress week-to-week, not absolute numbers
  • Focus on training zones - Apple's Cardio Fitness levels (Low, Below Average, Average, Above Average, High) are useful for training guidance

VO₂ Max Ranges (General Guidelines)

Values vary by age, sex, and training status. These are general ranges for adults:

Men (20-29 years)

  • <35 mL/kg/min - Low
  • 35-43 - Average
  • 44-51 - Good
  • >51 - Excellent/Elite

Women (20-29 years)

  • <28 mL/kg/min - Low
  • 28-36 - Average
  • 37-44 - Good
  • >44 - Excellent/Elite

📉 Age-adjusted: VO₂ Max naturally declines with age. Use age-adjusted ranges for accurate assessment.

How Cardio Analytics Uses VO₂ Max Data

  • Shows weekly/monthly VO₂ trends - Track fitness improvements over time
  • Displays Apple's Cardio Fitness levels - Low, Below Average, Average, Above Average, High
  • Encourages safe, progressive improvements - Gradual VO₂ increases indicate effective training
  • Correlates with activity levels - See how training volume affects cardio fitness

⚠️ Focus on trends, not absolute values: Use VO₂ Max to track fitness direction (improving/declining) rather than comparing to published norms.

HealthKit Data Types

Cardio Analytics reads VO₂ Max data from Apple HealthKit using this identifier:

  • vo2Max - Maximal oxygen uptake (mL/kg/min) (Apple Docs)

Learn More About HealthKit Integration

Scientific References

  1. Lambe R, et al. Investigating the accuracy of Apple Watch VO₂ max measurements. PLOS ONE. 2025. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0323741

View All References

Track Your VO₂ Max with Cardio Analytics

Monitor cardio fitness trends and training adaptations with VO₂ Max tracking.

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