VO2 Max Improvement

VO2 max is the strongest single predictor of all-cause mortality in large cohort studies, outperforming smoking status and traditional risk factors. It is determined by cardiac output, haemoglobin mass and peripheral oxygen extraction, and is trainable by roughly 15-25% in untrained people, less in trained athletes. High-intensity interval training raises it more efficiently per minute than steady-state work, though total training volume matters most for sustained gains. Iron deficiency, with or without anaemia, is a common and correctable cause of poor aerobic capacity, particularly in menstruating women and endurance athletes. No supplement meaningfully raises VO2 max itself.

1) Do high-intensity intervals twice weekly at 90-95% of maximum heart rate, the most efficient stimulus for raising VO2 max. 2) Build a large base of easy aerobic volume, which drives mitochondrial and capillary adaptation. 3) Test and correct iron deficiency, since low ferritin limits oxygen carrying capacity even before anaemia appears. 4) Progress training load gradually and periodise to avoid stagnation and injury. 5) Sleep and recover adequately, since adaptation happens between sessions. 6) Maintain a healthy body composition, as VO2 max is expressed relative to body mass. 7) Do not smoke, which directly impairs oxygen delivery. 8) Train consistently over months; detraining reverses gains faster than they were built.

• •High-intensity interval training
• •High-volume easy aerobic base
• •Correcting iron deficiency
• •Progressive periodised loading
• •Sleep and recovery
• •Body composition management
• •Not smoking