VO2max: Why You Need To Exercise

CONCEPT: Regular exercise is critical for health at all ages in order to maximize healthspan. Cardiorespiratory fitness, measured by VO2max, is one of the strongest predictors of all-cause mortality. By increasing VO2max through regular endurance exercise we can reduce the risk of chronic diseases and maintain physical function, thus extending both healthspan and lifespan.

I think at some level we all know that exercise forms part of a healthy lifestyle. Most people engage in some form of physical activity or sport when they are younger, but why should we continue to exercise as we get older? The answer is simple. How much we move NOW, strongly correlates with how much we will be able to move LATER. The human body is incredibly adaptable and as the old saying goes…

If we don’t use it we lose it.

Do you want to be the person at 60 years old who has difficulty going up or down stairs? The person at 70 who has trouble sitting and standing complaining of sore ankles, knees, and hips? Or the person at 80 who can no longer look after themselves? What about being able to join your kids and grandkids on walks, adventures, travels or just simply playing in the backyard?

The above phrase may be simple, but it speaks volumes to the trajectory of your life and the duration of your healthspan. Did you know that cardiorespiratory fitness, best measured by your VO2max (maximal oxygen uptake), is one of the greatest predictors of your functional capacity and healthspan as you get older?

What is Healthspan?

Healthspan refers to the length of time in which a person is healthy and free from chronic illness or disease. This has become my personal focus and motivation for a consistent exercise protocol. It is different from lifespan, which is simply the length of time a person lives for. While lifespan is important, most of us would rather live long and healthy lives than long lives full of health problems. This is the fundamental difference between healthspan and lifespan.

This is where exercise comes in. Research has shown that regular exercise can not only help increase lifespan, but maximize healthspan by reducing the risk of chronic diseases, improving physical function, and enhancing overall well-being.

It may not be intuitive, so consider this mental exercise.

Imagine you have a car, it is your prized possession (we all know someone) and you want it to last for as long as possible. You know that if you don’t take care of it – get regular oil changes, tune-ups, and keep up with maintenance – it’s more than likely going to break down and have problems over time. The lack of maintenance will shorten the cars healthspan. You might end up needing replacement parts or get a flat tire more often. However, if you work really hard to maintain it, it will continue to run smoothly as the years pass and be with you for a long time. The same goes for your body and exercise – regular exercise is equivalent to maintaining your car. Consistent maintenance makes sure that your body continues to function for a long time, thus extending your healthspan.

To reiterate an important point, most people know that exercise is good for them and understand how it can impact their health NOW, but they fail to see the bigger picture and understand how exercise will benefit them years in the future.

What is VO2max?

VO2max is a measure of your body’s maximum oxygen uptake during exercise. It is a key indicator of your cardiorespiratory fitness and aerobic endurance. It reflects how well our lungs, heart and blood vessels can deliver oxygen to the working cells and how efficient those cells are at producing energy. The higher your VO2max, the more efficiently your body is able to use oxygen during exercise, which translates into greater endurance and a reduced risk of chronic diseases.

The Importance of VO2max

Research has shown that VO2max is not only important for athletic performance but also for overall health. In fact, studies have found that VO2max is maybe the strongest predictor of mortality and morbidity, meaning that people with a higher VO2max tend to live longer and have a lower risk of chronic diseases. Thus, people with a higher VO2max reap the benefits of a longer healthspan.

However, like most aspects of our health, VO2max starts to naturally decline after roughly age 30. Returning to the phrase ‘Use it or lose it,’ unless we actively engage in exercise that maintains or increases our VO2max our physical function will continue its precipitous fall as the years pass.

To illustrate this, take a close look at the image below. It compares individuals with low, average, and high fitness, measured by VO2max, as they increase in age. The graph also displays objective levels of fitness, such as briskly climbing stairs or walking at a slight incline, based on the required VO2max to perform these physical activities.

As you can see, regardless of fitness level cardiorespiratory fitness drops significantly as we get older.

If you know your current or estimated VO2max you can use this image as a rough guideline to predict the activities you will be able to engage in at various ages. Learning that this decline is non-negotiable inspired me to adopt a more balanced exercise regimen that includes a variety of endurance-based activities, like running, cycling, and sprint intervals to improve and maintain my VO2max. In the hopes that when I get to 50, 60, 70 and above I can still walk up hills, go for a hike, carry heavy things, and most importantly, play with my future grandkids.

Take a moment to reflect for yourself…

When you are 75 years old, what sorts of activities do you still want to be able to do? Because, with regular endurance based exercise you can very realistically place yourself somewhere between average and high fitness on this graph. As a result, at 75 you may be still able to walk at 3mph or 4.8kmh up a steep hill and do many other activities that require lower fitness levels.

How to Test or Estimate Your VO2max

There are many’s ways to test and estimate your VO2max, some are more accurate, while some are more accessible for the general population. However, it is important to understand that even a very rough estimate provides you with critical information about your current health and your future healthspan.

Regardless of your current fitness level, there is a test that will suit YOU. The test that bests suits you depends on many factors including current training status, fitness level, budget, access to equipment, etc… The list below is in order of most accurate, most difficult and most expensive.

• GOLD STANDARD = Laboratory VO2max Test – run, bike or row
• Cooper Test – running test that requires you to cover maximum distance in 12 mins on a flat surface
• 1-mile Walk Test – requires a stop watch and heart rate monitor or the ability to count your own heart rate

Choose the test that best suits you and in under 20 mins you can have an estimate of your VO2max. The Cooper Test and the 1-mile Walk Test both utilize equations that can be easily found on google to calculate your estimated VO2max. For the general population, these two tests are going to be the most accessible options. To learn more listen to Andrew Huberman and Andy Galpin discuss these test protocols.

The Bottom Line: Regular Exercise, VO2max, and Healthspan

In conclusion, in today’s society not many people view exercise as a tool to maintain optimal health throughout the lifespan, especially as we get older. However, regular exercise and a high VO2max can help increase your healthspan by reducing the risk of chronic diseases and improving overall physical function. When it comes to our body and our health, the old saying use it or lose it truly does hold significant merit. So, make exercise a priority, just like taking care of your car, and unlock the key to a long and healthy life.

The decision is yours, at 75 years old what do you still want to be able to do? Do you want to use it? or lose it?