What is VO2Max?

VO2Max indicates how much oxygen your body can absorb and use during maximum exertion. Oxygen is the fuel for your muscles, especially during aerobic activities such as cycling . The more oxygen you can absorb per minute, the more energy your muscles have available. VO2Max is measured in milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute (ml/kg/min).

In short: the higher your VO2Max, the more efficiently your cardiovascular system works and the more power you can achieve when cycling.

Why a higher VO2Max improves your endurance

Imagine riding a long bike ride or climbing a steep mountain. In both cases, you need energy, and that energy comes from the oxygen your body takes in. A higher VO2Max means you have more oxygen available, which in turn means your muscles can work longer without "burning" or fatigue.

VO2Max also influences your recovery times. With better oxygen uptake and utilization, your body will return to resting state more quickly after intense exercise. This means you can train more often and harder without your performance suffering.

Recreational cyclists vs. professionals: A comparison of VO2Max

Now you may be wondering: How does the VO2Max of recreational cyclists compare to professionals? Professional athletes, especially in endurance sports, usually have a very high VO2Max, which allows them to ride for long distances at extremely high intensities.

• The average recreational cyclist often has a VO2Max of around 35-45 ml/kg/min. This is enough to cover longer distances at moderate speeds without becoming completely exhausted.
• Professionals, on the other hand, have a VO2Max of 70-90 ml/kg/min, which allows them to ride at high speeds for long periods of time and also master steep climbs with ease.

A higher level of training, specific interval training and genetic factors contribute to the fact that the VO2Max is significantly higher in professionals. But even as an ambitious recreational cyclist, you can significantly improve your VO2Max through targeted training.

How does VO2Max in cycling compare to other sports?

Compared to other endurance sports such as running or swimming, there are differences in VO2Max. This is because each sport requires different muscle groups and movement patterns.

• Running: Runners typically have a very high VO2Max because running uses many large muscle groups simultaneously and requires high oxygen uptake. Elite long-distance runners can achieve VO2Max values ​​as high as 85-90 ml/kg/min.
• Swimming: Swimmers have a slightly lower VO2Max compared to runners and cyclists. This is because breathing is restricted in the water and fewer large muscle groups are used. Nevertheless, elite swimmers achieve values ​​of around 70-80 ml/kg/min.

Cycling is somewhere in the middle compared to running and swimming. Because cycling involves a lot of lower body muscles but the movement is more cyclical and repetitive, VO2Max can be very high, especially for professionals.

Conclusion: VO2Max as the key to improving performance

If you want to take your road cycling performance to the next level, it's important to know your VO2Max and work to increase it. With a higher oxygen uptake capacity, you can ride for longer at higher intensities, recover faster, and significantly improve your endurance on the bike.

In the next articles in this series, you will learn how to increase your VO2Max through targeted training and which tools are available to measure your progress. So, stay tuned and keep pedaling hard - because VO2Max is the key to getting the most out of your road bike performance!