VO2Max-The Key to Longevity

Uncover the hidden key to longevity in our latest 9 to 5 Wellness episode on VO2 max! You will learn its impact on your health and longevity.

And you'll learn about:

What is VO2 Max?
It's connection to longevity.
How to measure VO2 Max?
What VO2 Max numbers to target?

Discover the secrets behind this essential predictor and learn how you can optimize it to enhance your well-being.

🌿💪🎧 #WellnessWednesday #VO2Max #LongevitySecrets #metabolichealth #healthyweight #fitnessgoals #fatpercentage #healthyfatpercentage   #obesity #metabolichealth #healthylifestyle #health

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🌟 🌟 🌟 If you liked this episode and would like to learn more about wellness training and workshops offered by 9 to 5 Wellness, email us at info@aeshathair.com. You can learn more about our programs at:  https://toneandstrengthen.com/workshops-trainings/. 🌟 🌟 🌟

Aesha Tahir is an award-winning author, keynote speaker, corporate trainer, and columnist.  She delivers high-energy presentations that challenge audiences to leverage their focus to what matters most at work and in life, their health. Audiences love the practical strategies she shares. She helps the organizations create a culture of wellness by implementing health programs that put organizations’ biggest asset, the employees first.

 Aesha earned her Master in Exercise Science from Concordia University. She is a distinguished Toastmasters, a designation held by less than 1% of professional speakers. She engages groups from the moment she steps in front of them and leaves them with empowering tools that they can use for the rest of their lives. She has presented workshops and spoken at organizations such as Salesforce, Coffman Engineers, Pyramid Club, Voyager Media Group, National Libraries, 92NY, and Coaching4Leaders to name a few.

🌟 🌟 🌟. You can learn more about Aesha Tahir at https://www.aeshatahir.com and follow her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aeshatahir/. 🌟 🌟 🌟

🌟 🌟 🌟 If you liked this episode and would like to learn more about wellness training and workshops offered by 9 to 5 Wellness, email us at info@aeshathair.com. You can learn more about our programs at: https://toneandstrengthen.com/workshops-trainings/. 🌟 🌟 🌟

My passion is helping organizations create a culture of wellness, and I do this by setting up health programs that prioritize the most important asset they've got – their employees. Cheers to a healthier and happier journey ahead!

🌟 🌟 🌟 You can learn more about ME- the host at https://www.aeshatahir.com

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Transcript

Welcome to the nine to five wellness podcast,  a show about corporate wellness solutions with innovators and forward thinking leaders who are at the forefront of the workplace wellness movement.  I'm your host Ayesha Tahir. 

 Hello and welcome to this week's episode of nine to five wellness show. I'm your host Ayesha Tahir. I am an exercise physiologist, a wellness consultant for organizations and businesses. And a keynote speaker. And today, I'm putting my physiologist hat on because we are going to be nerding out on the topic of VO2max.   At my workshops, I'm frequently asked, I don't feel old and I want longevity to keep doing what I love for as long as possible. A lot of audience members have this question. So I figured we are going to address that question on the show today.   I want to start by breaking down what VO2max actually means.

In order to understand VO2max, we need to understand the mechanism behind it.  So, before we  dig deep into that, I do want to point out that Exercise physiologists have been studying human body and how it uses oxygen for a very long time. The history of VO2max as a performance metric dates back like over a hundred years, so it's been a while we have been working on it.

And what these studies have found is that we are always using oxygen. Our bodies need oxygen even when we are resting. Now, when we start moving around or exercising, then our bodies need even more oxygen, right? So we are consuming more oxygen. As the intensity of the exercise increases,  We need even more oxygen. 

Why does your body need oxygen though? Because oxygen is the magical ingredient that makes aerobic energy production possible. That means transforming the energy stored in macronutrients like carbohydrates and fats into fuel for your muscle cells.  That is why VO2max is sometimes also referred to as your aerobic capacity.

 VO2max refers to the maximum volume of oxygen your body can import, transport, and utilize in a single minute during intense physical activity. Let me say that again, VO2max refers to the maximum volume of oxygen your body can import. Transport and utilize in a single minute during intense physical activity.

 In very simple terms, It's a measure of your body's ability to take in and use oxygen efficiently.  You can also say it's the maximum amount of oxygen your body can absorb and use during exercise.  This measure is an important sports performance metric, especially For endurance athletes and endurance sports as a runner.

I always strive to improve my vo2 max and we are going to go Into how i've been working to improve it and where I am standing right now a little later in the episode So stay tuned   Now, because VO2max is essentially a measure of the maximum amount of oxygen you can use during high level exercise,  which indicates your ability to produce energy,  oxygen is crucial for sustaining prolonged blood flow. aerobic exercise and so is your heart's ability to efficiently circulate oxygenated blood.

The benefits of a high VO2 max are straightforward.  Greater oxygen consumption results in enhanced energy production.  The higher your VO2 max, the more efficiently your body can utilize oxygen to produce maximum amount of energy.  Now, ATP or adenosine triphosphate is the source of energy for use and storage at the cellular level.

You're not going to get really technical here, I do want to throw out what ATP is because I'm going to have future episodes on ATP. VO2max and I'm also going to have future episodes on mitochondrial health where ATP is going to come again. So I do want to define it at this point.  Now, oxygen is a critical ingredient in the respiratory process that's involved in breathing.

As you inhale, your lungs absorb oxygen and turn it into ATP or energy.  So the greater your VO2max, The more oxygen your body can consume,  and more effectively, your body can use that oxygen to generate the maximum amount of  ATP  energy.  But hang on, that's not all VO2max is good for.  It's oxygen. Also an indicator of your cardiorespiratory fitness. 

It's a single number that captures your heart,  lungs, and circulatory system, and muscle cells.  All these systems working independently, and also together.  You know, when they come together, they are giving you this metric, which is VO2max.  That's why it's such an important health metric too. 

We have known that VO2max impacts performance in sports.  Recent evidence also shows that VO2max is connected to health and longevity,  which is the question that I get at my workshops from a lot of the attendees that they want to know the secret to longevity. And here it is, having a higher VO2 max.  I'm gonna discuss a study briefly.

There was a study that was recently done on 122, 000 patients. And the patients underwent  exercise treadmill testing, which is VO2 testing,  to measure their VO2 max. And the study found that high VO2 max leads to low risk of death from all causes.  And inversely, a low VO2max score leads to high risk of death from all causes.

So it's directly linked to our mortality rate.  Link to this study is in the show notes. So, definitely, I recommend you go and take a look at the study.  Now, what's considered a good VO2 max?  The first thing to understand is that a higher VO2 max is generally better than a lower VO2 max. A higher VO2 max means your body's better at taking oxygen from the air and delivering it to your muscles.

The more oxygen your muscles can get, the more nutrients you can aerobically transform into molecular fuel or ATP,  which your muscles can now use to contract and perform the activity.  This is important because your aerobic metabolic pathways are by far your most efficient source of energy for your body. 

Higher is better than lower,  right?  But how high is high enough?  That depends on your goals.  If you are a competitive marathon runner or a professional runner, triathlete, cyclist, or cross country skier,  then the answer is really, really high. Top  endurance athletes practically dedicate their lives to improving their VO2 max. 

For most people, however, like mere mortals like you and I, a good VO2max is understood in terms of so called normal values. These are the ranges of VO2max that researchers have identified in the general population. This is where things can get a little tricky.  Similar VO2max results can mean different things for different people.

And what am I talking about when I say that? Because your VO2max depends on a few key factors. First is your age.  Then gender,  fitness level, and fourth one, which I like to definitely describe and discuss is elevation. Like, what elevation do you live at, such as at sea level or in the mountains? If you're way up high in the mountains in, let's say, Colorado, you're gonna have a higher VO2 max. 

So some of these factors like age and biological gender are uncontrollable, like you have no control over them. And I talk about this in my coaching a lot,  don't worry about the variables that are not under your control. 

Focus. on the variables that are under your control, and there are plenty of those.  So the majority of your oxygen uptake depends on your fitness level, which you can manage, right?  So let's get back to some specific numbers here,  which would give you a better idea of what kind of VO2max you should be aiming for. 

There is a VO2max chart where you can instantly compare your VO2max to others of same age and gender, which is linked in the show notes.  You should go and get your VO2max tested. If you wear a Garmin watch or another sports watch, you would probably have an estimated number on your watch.

And that's what I'm going off of for my own fitness levels too at this time. I do want to go to a performance lab and get tested soon. So if you have that number, you can compare it to the number on the chart that I have shared in the show notes.  But  just for discussion purposes here and understanding VO2max better, I'm going to share some average numbers with you. 

Now the average numbers are different based off of your biological  sex and for men, they're higher. For women, they're lower.  For a sedentary male,  we see average VO two max numbers between 35 to 40 milliliters per kilogram per minute. For active men, we see the numbers between 42 to 46 milliliter per kg per minute, and for very active or athletic.

males, we see that those numbers, that that number is equal to or, you know, sometimes greater than 85 milliliters  per kg per minute. So that is like you're looking at pro athletes here.  Now for women sedentary for sedentary females. The average number is 27 to 30 milliliters per kg per minute for active women.

We see the average number to be  around 33 to 36 milliliters per kg per minute. And for very active women or athletes, we see it around 39 to 77 milliliters per kg per minute, sometimes even higher. But when we're talking  around 70 or higher milliliters for women, that's like pro athletes, really professional athletes.

Now I do want to share with you about my own VO2max improvement journey. I started at 41 milliliters per kg per minute in January of this year and I've been actively working to improve it in six months. I've been able to improve it by five points. I'm at 46 milliliters per kg per minute and I'm just excited that I'm just touching the superior or elite VO2 max range for female athletes right now. 

  The reason I'm sharing this statistic with you is because I want you to know this option is available to you as well. And it doesn't take that long to see the results.

If you stay consistent with your training, if you work with a coach who can get you there, you will see the results. 

Now let's talk about how to measure VO2max.  The best way to measure it is in a sports performance lab. A lot of the sports performance labs would actually do it for free for you. So try to just contact any of the universities that have an exercise science program and reach out to them that you would like to do it.

Know your VO2max and they would be happy to conduct the test on you. You can also find out your VO2max number by performing a cardiopulmonary exercise test at your doctor's office or exercise, you know, Medicine lab at the hospital, so that that is another option.  And what the process typically looks like is that you'll be wearing a mask over your face to record your oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production while running on a treadmill or riding a stationary bike.

The speed of the treadmill increases gradually until you reach the intensity at which maximum oxygen consumption rate is achieved. It is quite a workout and should only be performed when you're healthy. So I highly recommend getting your VO2 max tested, but under supervision and only when you're healthy enough to do it. 

An exercise physiologist will determine the volume of air you moved with your breath, and also the composition of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the air. that you are consuming and producing. By measuring how much oxygen is converted to carbon dioxide, we find out how many calories you burn at different levels of exercise intensity. The goal is to measure how much oxygen  is in the air that you breathe in compared with how much oxygen you exhale out. The difference gives us how much oxygen your body is using. 

Simple as that. Now, how can you increase your VO2 max?   If your VO2 max isn't where you want it to be, you can improve it by including some exercises. And I'm going to discuss two of the most effective ones. Here there are different ways to go about it, like with anything else, but these are the most effective ones.

The first one is your high intensity interval training, or HIT,  which requires doing a few minutes of intense aerobic exercise, reducing the intensity for a few minutes, and then increasing again. So you're working in intervals.  Let me give you an example. The best interval ratio that I have found to be effective with my clients is four minutes on, four minutes off.

You can start at any fitness level with this ratio and still see improvement in your VO2 max numbers. Pretty safe to start. Of course, you want to listen to your body as you are doing this kind of workout because you're going to be pushing your body hard. So again,  high intensity interval training where you are  doing intense aerobic exercise for four minutes and then following it with four minutes of easy work.

and then repeating the cycle.  That is one way to do it.  Second one would be low intensity training like running, biking, hiking, or rowing, or even,  In the gym, on an indoor cardio machine, you can do all of this.  You are going to be going at an easy aerobic pace,  but you'll be maintaining low intensity for  About 30 to 40 minutes. So that's your zone 2 training.  Now, switching up your low intensity training can be very helpful, especially because these types of workouts are less stressful on your body.

They don't place as much stress on your body as a high intensity interval training session does.  So those are the two ways to target  and increase and improve your VO2 max.  with exercise. Now, you can also improve your VO2max by decreasing your body fat percentage.   You didn't know that, right?  You can decrease your body fat percentage and see an improvement in your VO2max  because you can.

you will be preserving lean muscle mass and that would lead to more effective usage of oxygen in your muscles.  Now, if you're a runner like me, I'm gonna give you a couple of sample workouts. which , I perform on the track, you can use them as they are. If you're a runner, if you're not a runner, perfectly fine.

You can use them as templates  for your workouts at the gym. You can use any cardio machine you like. Just remember to listen to your body because these are intense workouts.  The first workout that I want to share with you that I do on the track is 4 x 1000 meters or one mile repeats at 5k pace. So I do either a thousand meter repeats four times around at 5k pace or a mile repeat at 5k pace with three minutes recovery in between  and it's an intense pace to go at but This workout definitely gives me the highest bang for my buck. So, all the time that I put in and the intensity I put in is very effective  at increasing VO2 max capacity. That, that's what I've found. The second workout that is my go to workout, and I have a love and hate relationship with it,  The second workout, which I love and hate at the same time to improve my VO2 max, is,  hill repeats, you do need to find a decent steep hill for this workout.  You go up for two minutes and then jog back down to your starting point and repeat.  I do six times two minutes  and I either jog or walk. I do want my heart rate to come back down before I hit the hill again. And I do it six times around. So these are my two go to workouts. 

that I have seen are most effective for improving VO2max.  So just summarizing and concluding here for you guys, VO2max is more than just a fitness metric. It's  linked to longevity, and your overall health.  Research suggests that individuals with high VO2max tend to have lower risks of cardiovascular diseases and they live longer, healthier, functional lives, which is just fascinating.

And that's, I know, that's what most of us want. That's what our goal is. And if that's your goal, you can start working on improving your VO2max today. If you need help and assistance, reach out to me. I can help you.  So whether you are an avid fitness enthusiast or an athlete, Or just looking to improve your overall well being,  Improving your VO2max is going to be worth your while. 

I highly recommend investing in training that would improve your VO2max and help you live a longer, happier, healthier, functional life.  It was so nice chatting with you friends today. Thank you so much for listening to this podcast and hit subscribe if you haven't done so already. I can't wait to talk to you guys next week.

Bye for now.  

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