OP, you don't even say how the test was done: stationary bike? treadmill? rowing ergometer?
It obviously matters. Michael Phelps has a massive VO2 as tested on a bike or a swimming treadmill, but can't run for sh!t because he is untrained for the sport and has terrible running economy at his VO2 max or any other level of exertion.
I have an even bigger discrepancy. My VO2 max was lab tested at 66 ml/kg/min. Based off this, I should be able to run sub 16 5K. Yet my 5k time is only 18:41 and 3k time 10:37. My running form and metabolic efficiency is terrible.
Vo2max is the aerobic capacity, but there is also the anaerobic capacity (vlamax) the ability to produce lactate. You seem to have a very strong anaerobic capacity. To improve your 5k time you should reduce your anaerobic capacity by making your fast twitch fibers more aerobically.
Or muscular strength? I can process a lot of oxygen, I just don't do anything with it. Peak VO2Max 63, 5k PR 20:00. I have no muscles. I think my body just turns all that oxygen into heat.
If the human body was a car then "Vo2max" is like raw horsepower and "Running Economy" is like fuel efficiency or your miles/gallon.
As others have mentioned "Running Economy" is generally a better measure at predicting distance running performances....especially at paces around goal race paces (be it a 5km or marathon).
If you have a relatively high VO2max you have more "wiggle room" with Running Economy values and how they relatable to race performances....but having high values in both is certainly very helpful for running fast and being elite.
I got both tested after already running PRs of 14:29, 29:47, 1:04:32, 2:16:52 etc and my Vo2max was "only" 69. However, my Running Economy is quite efficient (much more above average) at around half marathon to marathon pace. I could've guessed that just based on my PRs and relative Vo2max number.
Running Economy can be improved through years of high mileage, aerobic base and running form drills/speed work etc. It can also be improved by simply switching shoes.
Daniel's VDOT values apply Running Economy numbers together with Vo2max numbers and have relatively high correlations.
But yes, in terms of "Running Economy" the muscles play a huge role. We're talking about running form/movement patterns/muscular strength and coordination as well as what kind of shoes you might be wearing and what your stride rate is even. We're also looking at cellular adaptations, blood flow, and muscle fiber activation etc.
Running economy can be relatively better at faster paces for some runners (while obviously at a higher % of Vo2max and higher intensity....it does not necessarily decrease with speed).
Both are dealing with oxygen delivery and usage.
I have the VO2 app (think this is JDaniels thing), one of my 14 y/o kid's V02max (Vdot to be precise) trend pretty closely 57-58 updating 800/1500/5K PBs. We did ONE single 400M event this year and her PB indicated a VDOT 5 higher!! So, that's my lesson as far as the VO2 max not translating across distances. I think. (The coaches at Daniels' outfit said they design coaching plans based on the VO2 max associated with the event you tell them you are training for. If we used that same Vdot for a 5k? No way she could maintain those R, I, T paces-way diff for 57 vs 63. Very thought provoking.)
If the human body was a car then "Vo2max" is like raw horsepower and "Running Economy" is like fuel efficiency or your miles/gallon.
As others have mentioned "Running Economy" is generally a better measure at predicting distance running performances....especially at paces around goal race paces (be it a 5km or marathon).
If you have a relatively high VO2max you have more "wiggle room" with Running Economy values and how they relatable to race performances....but having high values in both is certainly very helpful for running fast and being elite.
I got both tested after already running PRs of 14:29, 29:47, 1:04:32, 2:16:52 etc and my Vo2max was "only" 69. However, my Running Economy is quite efficient (much more above average) at around half marathon to marathon pace. I could've guessed that just based on my PRs and relative Vo2max number.
Running Economy can be improved through years of high mileage, aerobic base and running form drills/speed work etc. It can also be improved by simply switching shoes.
Daniel's VDOT values apply Running Economy numbers together with Vo2max numbers and have relatively high correlations.
But yes, in terms of "Running Economy" the muscles play a huge role. We're talking about running form/movement patterns/muscular strength and coordination as well as what kind of shoes you might be wearing and what your stride rate is even. We're also looking at cellular adaptations, blood flow, and muscle fiber activation etc.
Running economy can be relatively better at faster paces for some runners (while obviously at a higher % of Vo2max and higher intensity....it does not necessarily decrease with speed).
Both are dealing with oxygen delivery and usage.
I have the VO2 app (think this is JDaniels thing), one of my 14 y/o kid's V02max (Vdot to be precise) trend pretty closely 57-58 updating 800/1500/5K PBs. We did ONE single 400M event this year and her PB indicated a VDOT 5 higher!! So, that's my lesson as far as the VO2 max not translating across distances. I think. (The coaches at Daniels' outfit said they design coaching plans based on the VO2 max associated with the event you tell them you are training for. If we used that same Vdot for a 5k? No way she could maintain those R, I, T paces-way diff for 57 vs 63. Very thought provoking.)
So you used a 400m time trial to try to correlate Vo2max /relative VDOT numbers?
Well, the 400m is a long sprint....with a heavy anaerobic component....so it's not going to get one up to Vo2max even. Of course it wasn't accurate then.
Yeah VDOT doesn’t really tell you what your Vo2Max is. 400m is almost purely anaerobic endurance so a developed Vo2Max or lack thereof isn’t going to change what you can run over the distance. The only super accurate way to measure it is obviously in a lab, but a race of 3k-5k (when in peak shape) can also get a close estimate.
The general consensus is that for most, initial Vo2Max can only be improved 10-15%. So most people will usually always have roughly the same Vo2Max. Being overweight, sick, or really out of shape can skew test results though. For example, when I got injured, my watch predicted Vo2Max fell to 56 or so, and has now bounced back up to 71. My lab measured Vo2Max previous to injury was 72.8. There’s probably no way my Vo2Max ever got down to 56, it’s just that the metrics used by Garmin were heavily skewed by getting a bit over race weight and losing some mechanical efficiency.
Yeah VDOT doesn’t really tell you what your Vo2Max is. 400m is almost purely anaerobic endurance so a developed Vo2Max or lack thereof isn’t going to change what you can run over the distance. The only super accurate way to measure it is obviously in a lab, but a race of 3k-5k (when in peak shape) can also get a close estimate.
The general consensus is that for most, initial Vo2Max can only be improved 10-15%. So most people will usually always have roughly the same Vo2Max. Being overweight, sick, or really out of shape can skew test results though. For example, when I got injured, my watch predicted Vo2Max fell to 56 or so, and has now bounced back up to 71. My lab measured Vo2Max previous to injury was 72.8. There’s probably no way my Vo2Max ever got down to 56, it’s just that the metrics used by Garmin were heavily skewed by getting a bit over race weight and losing some mechanical efficiency.
VDOT takes running economy into account. I think people need to realize here that Vo2max is: " ml of 02 per kg of body weight per min of exercise"....so yes, body mass is a big component of that.
As I saw in my YouTube training talks "never trust a Vo2max number guesstimate from a smart watch or app"
What do you mean the: "general consensus is that for most, initial Vo2max can only be improved by 10-15%"....where do you come up with numbers like that even?
While there is a huge genetic and "talent" component to Vo2max it is certainly quite trainable depending on age and experience level (and for some body mass changes).
At the end of the day we should just care more about "velocity at Vo2max" and how Running Economy improvements can allow us to race closer and closer to 100% of that ceiling for longer and longer distances/races.
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