What Is a Good VO2 Max by Age? Your Genes Hold the Key!
Have you ever wondered what sets elite endurance athletes apart from the rest?
One key factor is their VO2 max, or maximal oxygen uptake. VO2 max is the maximum rate at which an individual can consume oxygen during intense exercise, measured in milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute (ml/kg/min).
It's like the engine capacity of your body, determining how efficiently you can utilize oxygen to generate energy for your muscles.
But why is VO2 max so important?
VO2 max is a powerful marker of present and future health. Higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) are associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, mortality, and a plethora of other diseases.
In fact, exercise is often considered "medicine" because improved VO2 max levels protect against all-cause morbidity and mortality.
However, as a person ages, their VO2 max typically declines.
This often brings up an important question: What is a good VO2 max by age?
While several factors play a role, your genes hold the key to unlocking your VO2 max potential.
So, how do you tap into this valuable genetic information?
Let's dive deeper into the science and factors behind VO2 max and explore how genetic testing and gene-informed training can help you optimize your performance and health.
What Are The Factors Influencing VO2 Max?
Your VO2 max, or maximal oxygen uptake, is a key indicator of cardiovascular endurance.
In fact, a higher VO2 max represents the ability to perform better in endurance sports. With a higher VO2 max, you can push harder for longer.
But what determines this measurement of aerobic fitness? Let's break down the major factors that can impact your VO2 max reading.
#1 - Genetics
Studies show that genetics can account for more than 50% of the variability in VO2 max among individuals. This underscores the importance of understanding your genetic predisposition to athletic fitness.
Key Genes and Pathways Influencing VO2 Max
Here are two key genes that influence your aerobic capacity:
- PPARGC1A (PGC-1α) Gene
The PPARGC1A (PGC-1α) gene plays a vital role in mitochondrial biogenesis (the growth of cellular energy factories) and angiogenesis (the development of blood vessels) in your muscles.
Studies link certain variants of this gene to increased aerobic capacity.
- ACSL1 Gene
This gene is like your body's fuel efficiency expert. It plays a crucial role in lipid metabolism, helping your body use fat for energy. Interestingly, it's been identified as one of the strongest predictors for VO2 max training response.
So, if you're seeing great improvements in your endurance training, you might have this gene to thank!
Factor #2 - Age
Age may be just a number but not when it comes to VO2 max. Your age significantly impacts this measurement. VO2 max typically peaks in your 20s and then gradually declines with advancing age. The rate of decline is around 10% per decade after the age of 25.
What causes this inevitable drop?
As we grow older, our cardiac output dips due to decreased maximal heart rate and stroke volume. Put simply, your heart's pumping capacity diminishes.
Additionally, your muscles' ability to use oxygen during exercise (oxidative capacity) also takes a hit over time due to mitochondrial dysfunction. These age-related changes together lead to the observed decrease in VO2 max year after year.
Factor #3 - Gender
Biological factors cause VO2 max differences between men and women. Males tend to have 10-15% higher values relative to body weight. For instance, a 20-year-old female averages 39.51 ml/kg/min VO2 max compared to her male counterpart's 47.67 ml/kg/min.
This notable gap stems from underlying biological variances. Men naturally have bigger hearts and lungs, greater hemoglobin concentrations, and more muscle mass compared to women.
Moreover, testosterone provides men an extra edge by elevating red blood cell levels, allowing better oxygen delivery to working muscles.
In contrast, women have higher body fat percentages. Even amongst elite runners, the gender divide exists with peak VO2 max scores of female athletes trailing male counterparts by about 10%.
Factor #4 - Training
While aging and gender are out of your control, your training plan isn't.
Conventional wisdom suggests that High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is the go-to method for boosting VO2 max. However, the relationship between HIIT and VO2 max is more nuanced than that.
While HIIT has been shown to be effective in improving VO2 max, individual responses to HIIT vary greatly due to genetic differences.
What works for one person may not work for another.
In fact, research suggests that low-intensity, longer-duration workouts can also improve VO2 max to a similar extent.
A meta-analysis published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness found that increasing exercise training intensity above ~60% of VO2 max does not provide additional increases in VO2 max in healthy adults. This suggests that low and moderate-intensity training can be as effective as high-intensity training for improving VO2 max.
Time is also another crucial factor to consider. If there’s limited time for training, HIIT workouts may offer a more efficient way to improve VO2 max.
However, remember that time is only one of the factors in determining which type of workout is going to give you the biggest return on investment - short and sharp or long and slow.
Your genetics play a significant role in guiding you toward which training modality your body may actually respond better to.
Traditional training methods can only take you so far. Discover how GENEFIT can revolutionize your fitness. |
VO2 Max Standards by Age and Gender
What's considered a "good" VO2 max can vary depending on various factors, as discussed above (genetics, age, gender, and training).
However, there are certain standards that apply based on age and gender which can help you understand where you may lie.
According to an NCBI study, here are the average VO2 max values by age for men and women:
Age Group (years) |
Male (ml/kg/min) |
Female (ml/kg/min) |
5-9 |
45.86 ± 5.94 |
41.48 ± 5.83 |
10-14 |
49.65 ± 8.76 |
42.00 ± 6.46 |
15-19 |
50.63 ± 7.97 |
40.53 ± 6.29 |
20-29 |
47.67 ± 6.49 |
39.51 ± 8.76 |
30-39 |
45.50 ± 7.62 |
35.84 ± 8.66 |
40-49 |
42.61 ± 8.40 |
34.19 ± 8.81 |
50-59 |
38.50 ± 8.97 |
31.00 ± 8.81 |
≥ 60 |
38.54 ± 8.90 |
29.45 ± 7.83 |
As you can see, even within the standard deviation represented in each age and gender category, a wide range exists. This indicates that there's far more to VO2 max than just a number.
Your physiology and genetics determine your baseline VO2 max and how you respond to exercise which increases this metric.
In the end, reference tables such as these are useful for benchmarking.
But, what's far more useful is tracking the trend of your VO2 max value over time, enabling you to measure the impact of your training.
Your unique biology offers plenty of room for exceeding averages!
How GENEFIT Utilizes VO2 Max Response To Shape Training Insights
Pushing ourselves to go farther and faster requires an intricate understanding of what our bodies are capable of. Yet most training programs fail to account for key differences that make each of us unique, including VO2 max.
The result? Hit-and-miss fitness gains that leave many runners scratching their heads.
GENEFIT is founded on the science that genes account for more than 50% of the variance we see in VO2 max between individuals. This innovative fitness app is powered by comprehensive genetic analysis, providing personalized insights to help you train smarter, fuel better, and push your potential.
Here's how:
Getting Started - Taking The Genetic Test
The first step to unlocking the benefits of GENEFIT is downloading the app and taking the one-time genetic test. A quick cheek swab is all it takes to access a wealth of genetic insights tailored to you.
GENEFIT’s test analyzes key genes tied to VO2 max response, including PPARGC1A, ACSL1, and others.
Understanding your unique variants of these genes allows GENEFIT to evaluate your baseline VO2 max level along with your capacity to improve cardiovascular endurance in response to training.
Here’s what your genetic test insights look like on the app:
The genetic radar provides recommendations on how best to structure your training regime. This is based on whether you are more likely to respond to low-intensity endurance-type activities or high-intensity power workouts.
See what your genes have to tell about your athletic performance. Order your genetics test on the GENEFIT today. |
Training & VO2 Max Response Pathway
One of the core performance parameters reported on by GENEFIT is the VO2 Max Response pathway. This pathway indicates how your body is likely to respond and adapt to cardiovascular conditioning based on your genetic makeup.
It evaluates your innate VO2 max at baseline along with your potential trainability.
Some people have an inherently high VO2 max and respond rapidly to training, quickly building endurance, and stamina.
For others, baseline VO2 max starts lower and improvements happen more gradually in response to consistent training.
GENEFIT takes the guesswork out of interpreting your VO2 max scores by framing them in the context of your genetics.
The VO2 Max Response pathway works hand-in-hand with GENEFIT’s personalized run training programs.
These plans balance your genetic strengths and weaknesses to help you maximize fitness gains most efficiently on your running journey.
The GENEFIT Ecosystem: Connecting VO2 Max With Broader Genetic Pathways
While VO2 max insights are invaluable, GENEFIT goes beyond by connecting these cardio-based recommendations with complementary genetic pathways.
These include the Endurance Pathway, Power Pathway, and the Recovery Pathway.
The pathways allow GENEFIT to create personalized Genetic Training Profiles that help guide your training efforts.
If your profile suggests you are a High-Endurance, Slow-Recovery athlete, GENEFIT recommends focusing your training plan on:
- A greater proportion of low to medium-intensity workouts
- More rest or active recovery days between intense sessions
The app also provides genetically-tailored training plans highly specific to your Genetic Training Profile. These plans give precise workouts and ideal rest days.
However, if you prefer to design your own training regimen, you can use GENEFIT's fitness scores to evaluate if your program aligns optimally with your genetics.
The scores quantify whether your training maximizes benefits and minimizes injury risk based on your DNA.
Additionally, GENEFIT offers nutritional and lifestyle recommendations personalized to your genetic needs for optimal performance and recovery.
Tapping Into VO2 Max Data for Long-Term Performance and Health
Whether you aim for a personal record (PR) in your next marathon or improved cardiovascular health into your 70s, genetics influences your VO2 max trainability alongside factors such as training, sound nutrition, adequate recovery, etc.
This is why, as an athlete, understanding your unique VO2 max profile early on helps maximize your fitness gains by leveraging your genetic information.
The result? You’re healthier, stronger, and faster.
GENEFIT's genetic test reveals your cardiovascular fitness potential, injury risk factors, and appropriate training methods. These insights, paired with smart programming, are crucial for maintaining peak performance and long-term health.
So, if you are ready to start optimizing your training right now by understanding what your genetic predispositions are, say hello to GENEFIT.