VO2 max question

[Stig-OT-Dump]

What are the physiological changes that bring about an increase in VO2 max? Is your blood better at carrying oxygen? Your vascular system getting better at delivering oxygen loaded blood through increased volume? Or your muscles getting better at taking up the oxygen? Or a combination?

Just wondered....

Stig

 

[jimboalee]

What this says is; an untrained person has 'dormant' Alveoli. When faced with repetative sessions of heavy breathing, the dormant Alveoli are brought into utilisation.

Also, due to increased muscular demand for fuel and oxygen, capillarisation increases.

 

[Crackle]

I didn't think you could increase your VO2 max, it's what you are born with.

 

[marinyork]

In one of the books I read it says you can increase VO2 max but you have to be cycling above 94% MSHR and have a high force on the pedals.

 

[Yellow Fang]

VO2 max is the maximum rate of oxygen you can metabolise divided by your weight. They put you on a treadmill or an exercise bike and measure the amount of CO2 you breathe out.You can increase your VO2 max by getting fitter or losing weight. It's not fixed in stone. I did a test once and my VO2 max came out as 57. Probably the more important figure is your lactate threshold. Mine was 85% of my VO2 max.

 

[Stig-OT-Dump]

I've had sub-maximal testing (Chester Step Test as part of an annual medical) and used the BBC on-line calculator (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/health_and_fitness/4742961.stm) based on run times, but obviously both are approximations.

I also have my lung capacity checked, along with the forced exhalation volume testing, and past results suggest that VO2 max isn't directly linked with lung volumes, so there must be a range of other physiological changes that help the score go up.

 

[jimboalee]

VO2 max is increased when your brain brings more Alveoli into use because of increased O2 demand by the muscular system.
It is not immediate and happens over several incidents of respiratory exhaustion.

I thought I had already said this.

 

[Madcyclist]

I was under the impression that VO2 max is predominantly physiological, with a potential gain of no more than 10% with training.

 

[Yellow Fang]

I'm pretty sure a totally unfit person could double their VO2 max. I can't remember the exact figures but it's something like 30 for a typical unfit person, 55 for an ordinary but very fit person, and about 80 for Lance Armstrong. Potential gain has got be more than 10% as a person who is a couple of stone overweight could gain more than 10% just by losing weight.

 

[doyler78]

One of the better explanations because it is simply put. In other words you don't need to be an exercise physiologist to understand what is being discussed.

http://www.geocities.com/alleghenyrnp/calculators/vo_max_expl.htm

It is unimportant that it relates to running as the principles are exactly the same no matter what the endurance sport is.

 

[Stig-OT-Dump]

Jimbo
I hear what you are saying, and don't dispute that more efficient lung function would enhance performance, but if the only driver was to recruit dortmant alveoli, sucking on one of those breathing resistance trainers would be all that you'd have to do to start turning out high level performances. Surely there are also muscular adaptations needed for more efficient oxygen metabolism?