Calculating Your Vo2 Max

VO2 max is a factor that you can determine an athletes capacity to perform a certain exercise, which is linked to aerobic endurance.VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen that an individual can utilize during intense or maximal exercise. It is measured as milliliters of oxygen used in one minute per kilogram of body weight. The more oxygen you can use during high level exercise, the more ATP you can produce. Athletes have very high VO2 max values. To determine your VO2 max, you have to do the Rockport Fitness Walking Test, where you have to walk 1 mile (1.6km) on a flat level ground as fast as you can without running. You have to measure the time it takes you to finish the walk, and your heart beat per minute after the walk. Those measurements, including age, gender and mass are substituted into an equation that yields an estimate of your VO2 max. What you need to determine your VO2 max with is with a bathroom scale, a digital stopwatch, and a calculator. m (kg) 53 kg a (years) 16 g (male=1, female=0) 0 t (min) 13.26 r (beats/min 174

a) VO2 max (mL/kg/min) =132.853- 0.1696 (53)- 0.3877(16)+ 6.3150(0)-3.2649(13.26)- 0.1565(174) VO2 =53.447 b) My VO2 max value compared to the average of table 2 in section 2.3 of the text book is really high. It is not the average VO2 max of other females in my age range, ranking superior. I think this is because I am physically active and really good at aerobic activities like running and cycling, and also because I have tried a lot of physical activities such as aerobics, hot yoga, mountain climbing, and gym activities. c) This lab is just an estimate because factors can affect the results. Performance factors such as weather, injury, needs of sleep, and medications can alter the test. This will give a lower VO2 that it really should be. Environmental factors can also alter the results. Cold temperatures can make it difficult for some individuals to breathe, and can cause muscle tension or shivering, or if it is too hot or very humid, athletes may overheat, requiring them to slow down and throwing off the test. Also where the person is walking can affect the results because softer grounds, such as grass or sand are harder to walk on than concrete, therefore making you be slower. The final factor that can affect the results is accuracy of measure. Some people might get the distance, mass or heartbeat measured wrong, which will affect the results one subbed in the equation. You can reduce your errors by doing your VO2 max testing on a day that you feel good, to walk on a flat concrete surface, and having a partner make sure you are measuring everything correctly.

Tina Walizadah