What's a good VO2 max?

no elites have under 70 (maybe actually some b-levels with great economy in the ~69ish range? heard sages wasn't that high?)

75+ for the top level guys.

but v02max isn't really a good predictor for performance.

its really a big range. there are worldbeaters just as fast as eachother with v02maxes many points appart.

Lol you’re vo2max is low. Armstrong’s is 97 even without drugs. That’s talent.

Lance recorded around 84... Some world class runners have VO2max in the 60s.

Cam Levins 62

RunningGART2004 70 something i think.

It doesn't mean jack

66 VO2 max is about the equivalent of a 980 SAT score

That low? huh. goes to show how useless it is. I was under the impression that it had slightly more correlation than that, guess not.

It does. Almost every great runner has a higher number.

The very few lower numbered people probably didn't try hard or had a faulty reading.

There's a lot of chumps with a 60 who think they will buck the trend though.

spartanrunner97 wrote:

Curious what people think is a good VO2 max, what the average is for a hobbyjogger, runner, marathoner, ultrarunner, etc. I took a test today through a department at my college and got 66.4 but I'm not sure where I'd rank that when compared to other runners

A lab tested 66.4 VO2 max is pretty good. A calculated VO2 max is closer to average for a well trained runner. A lab tested 66.4 basically says you could be competitive at pretty much any distance you wanted to train for. You would probably be more success in longer races if you trained properly. Distances of 10k and lower a higher lab tested VO2max will matter much more. 10k and above your efficiency will play a bigger roll in you performance. Calculated VO2 max tests based off of race times can have a large margin of error based off of a persons running economy. You could test 66.4 in a lab but with great running economy be well over 70 using a calculator.

It is widely hypothesized that the physiological factors that lead to high economy and those that lead to high VO2max are to some extent mutually exclusive. When scientists have tried to predict the limits of human performance, they ask, "what if one person had all the best values we've ever recorded in a lab?" But chances are, that's like asking, "what if someone could be in shape to run both a WR in the 1500 and in the marathon at the same time?" Sure, an elite distance runner is going to be way, way better than most people, even outside his specialty, but once you start reaching rare air, some characteristics that help you be the best in one area will preclude you from being the best in another.

So VO2max is pretty much irrelevant once we're already dealing with high level athletes. Where it has more potential is in screening young talents to select the ones who have the minimum capacity necessary to be world class. That's why it's common in countries where they have nationalized Olympic sports programs.

Mine is measured at like 53 but I can run a 5:22 mile on the road without training specifically for it.

My 5k is a 19:48

Seems a bit off cause it estimates I can run a 22 minute 5k on my app but did 5 miles yesterday at 7:00 pace.

Its a nice figure as a benchmark for new runners but don't put much stock into it with veteran runners.

Female hobbyjoggers between 40-60

Male hobbyjoggers between 50-70

Females elites 63+

Male elites 75+

it ceases to amaze me how man damn hobby joggers we have on here...

jesus h christ wrote:

it ceases to amaze me how man damn hobby joggers we have on here...

So whats the problem?

epicTCK wrote:

no elites have under 70 (maybe actually some b-levels with great economy in the ~69ish range? heard sages wasn't that high?)

75+ for the top level guys.

but v02max isn't really a good predictor for performance.

I guess Derek Clyton was b-level:

Fi wrote:

Some world class runners have VO2max in the 60s.

No way...maybe some local mocal roadsters but not world elites. High -70s, low -80s is what you'll see for the average of the world class guys. And the top tier cats will be mid-80s. Big engines & thin, wispy bodies rule the day...nothing new there.

spartanrunner97 wrote:

Curious what people think is a good VO2 max, what the average is for a hobbyjogger, runner, marathoner, ultrarunner, etc. I took a test today through a department at my college and got 66.4 but I'm not sure where I'd rank that when compared to other runners

That's outstanding! ?You've got a good engine under the hood. ? Don't think so? Well...here's one for you and surely to be a shocker: In this study the average VO2max of 10 elite Kenyan runners was only ~71. So, obviously there's more to elite distance running than VO2max. Factors such as running ecomony, biomechanics & durability are just as important.