How important is vo2 max in the 1500 meters and the mile?

If you want to run, e.g. 15:00 for 5000m, the most important factor is your ability to sustain 3:00/km for 15 minutes. In other words, your running is the best predictor of your running. The clock doesn't care what your VO2max is.

Forget everything you've ever learned about VO2max, it only over-complicates things without adding any knowledge of value.

Thanks for the answer man i understand what you mean but is it important for 1500m/ mile?

If you have 2 runners with equal economy and equal endurance, but one has great aerobic power (higher VO2max), pick the one with the higher VO2max to win the race. However, the one with higher max may not win if weaker in economy. More than one physiological characteristic determines who wins

so 1500/mile runners do traditional vo2 max workouts?

No doubt

like serious ones e.g 3-5 minutes at 100%vo2 max.

It's only important if you want to be fast. No elite 1500m runner would have a number any lower than the high 70s and the majority would be well over 80.

A quick look at the numbers for three greats (Keino, Ryun and Coe) show this.

But i am sure their vo2 max workouts must be their intervals i.e 10x400m at race pace but vo2 max pace.

But i am sure their vo2 max workouts must be their intervals i.e 10x400m at race pace but not intervals at vo2 max pace.

jtupperd wrote:

If you have 2 runners with equal economy and equal endurance, but one has great aerobic power (higher VO2max), pick the one with the higher VO2max to win the race. However, the one with higher max may not win if weaker in economy. More than one physiological characteristic determines who wins

that's an oversimplification. how are you distinguishing endurance from v02max? also, what race are we talking about? if it's the 800 or 1500 you can be aerobically weaker than someone but have greater speed and beat them.

Mid Distance wrote:

But i am sure their vo2 max workouts must be their intervals i.e 10x400m at race pace but not intervals at vo2 max pace.

Milers will do work at a variety of paces - not just race pace. So, they definitely will be doing aerobic strength workouts (bouts of 3-5mins, say) at some point in their season.

but its not their bread and butter is it?

look up some schedules - daniels for example, you'll find early in the season there's lots of long reps.

ok, but anyways what pace is 100% of your heart rate.

Heart rate max

like what pace is it?

Mid Distance wrote:

ok, but anyways what pace is 100% of your heart rate.

100% heart rate is not a pace.

Mid Distance wrote:

like what pace is it?

vo2 max pace is around about the pace you can hold for 9 minutes, for a lot of runners its about 3k pace.

e.g a 9 minute 3k runner's vo2 max pace is 3min/km

Mid Distance wrote:

They say that vo2 max is the most important factor in races ranging from 1500m - 5000m but what i dont understand is that during 1500m /mile races you are racing above your vo2 max more than 100% so why is it important when you are going above that intensity in the 1500/mile races.

No, the most important factor in all races is how fast you can run. VO2 max is genetic, requires very littly training to realize your max. But running fast in any race requires a huge amount of training.

You are not running above VO2 max in a 1500m you reach that limit after maybe 2 minutes. But you are using more powerful muscle fibers than in a longer race.