VO2 max stands for the volume (V) of oxygen (O2) you use when exercising your hardest (your "max"). The higher your VO2 max is, the better your cardiorespiratory fitness is. People with high levels of cardiorespiratory fitness have a lower risk for heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and cancer.

While you can improve your VO2 max with exercise, your genetics may also play a role. AncestryDNA^® Traits looks at genes that may impact your oxygen use.

Oxygen Use and Athletic Performance

Having a higher VO2 max gives a person a better capacity for aerobic fitness. It's no surprise then that athletes, especially elite athletes, tend to have a higher VO2 max than the average person.

VO2 max is all about exercise efficiency. When you're engaging in vigorous activity, like running, your muscles need oxygen, which they get through the blood. People who have the capacity to get that oxygen to their muscles in the most efficient way will generally be faster and stronger, and fatigue less quickly. Runners, rowers, swimmers, and cross-country skiers use VO2 max, along with measures like heart rate, to evaluate their training.

Can You Improve Your Oxygen Use?

Scientists measure VO2 max as oxygen consumed per minute, per kilogram of body weight (mL/kg/min). The average VO2 max is about 35 – 40 mL/kg/min for an inactive man and 27 – 30 mL/kg/min for an inactive woman, while elite athletes can have maxes into the 80s, and occasionally, even beyond.

Individuals can improve their cardiorespiratory fitness by exercising. A good guideline is 150 minutes of moderate intensity (like brisk walking) each week. There is also good evidence that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is one of the best ways to increase VO2 max. In one study, young, otherwise healthy individuals improved their VO2 max by doing six sessions of cycling intervals over a few weeks.

VO2 Max and Genetics

We've known for a while—since studies on identical twins in the 1970s—that some individuals naturally have a higher VO2 max because of their genetics. Researchers have found that VO2 max is more similar within related families, both on its own and even after training.

More recently, scientists have identified almost 100 genes related to VO2 max, and specifically related to VO2 max trainability (your ability to improve cardiorespiratory fitness). One genetic variant (rs6552828) located in the ACSL1 gene is predictive of a person's ability to improve their VO2 max through exercise. Researchers continue to study if this gene is a factor in the success of elite athletes.

Interesting Facts About VO2 Max

VO2 max isn't something you need to measure in everyday training. However, it can help you track your progress. The most reliable way to measure VO2 max is in a lab, wearing a mask that captures your oxygen as you exercise. But some fitness watches can estimate it by tracking your heart rate.

There is debate about the highest ever VO2 max. Most recently, it appears to be a cyclist from Norway named Oskar Svendsen, who reportedly tested at 97.5 mL/kg/min. However, the scientific community has been skeptical, since the finding was reported in the media rather than a scientific journal. But there are reliable findings that show some male athletes getting up to 90 mL/kg/min and females to 80 mL/kg/min.

What does your DNA say about your VO2 Max? Find out with an AncestryDNA^® Traits test.

References:

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Ben-Zaken, Sigal, Yoav Meckel, Alon Eliakim, and Dan Nemet. "Prevalence of ACSL (RS6552828) Polymorphism among Runners." Acta Kinesiologiae Universitatis Tartuensis, January 2019. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/ 330110910_Prevalence_of_ACSL_rs6552828_polymorphism_among_runners.

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Williams, Camilla J., Mark G Williams, Nir Eynon, Kevin J. Ashton, Jonathan P. Little, Ulrik Wisloff, and Jeff S. Coombes. "Genes to Predict Vo2max Trainability: A Systematic Review." BMC Genomics, November 14, 2017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5688475/.

Yvert, Thomas, Zi-Hong He, Catalina Santiago, Yang Hu, Yan-Chun Li, Félix Gómez-Gallego, Carmen Fiuza-Luces, et al. "Acyl Coenzyme A Synthetase Long-Chain 1 (ACSL1) Gene Polymorphism (rs6552828) and Elite Endurance Athletic Status: A Replication Study." PLOS ONE, July 19, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0041268.