30/01/2026
Why knowing your VOā max actually matters
VOā max = how much oxygen your body can use during exercise.
In simple terms? Itās one of the best indicators of your aerobic fitness and endurance capacity.
Knowing your VOā max helps you:
ā¢ Train at the right intensities
ā¢ Track fitness improvements (or plateaus)
ā¢ Reduce overtraining risk
ā¢ Predict endurance performance
ā¢ Objectively measure cardiovascular health
Butā¦ what about your wearable watch? ā
Your watch estimates VOā max using:
ā¢ Heart rate data
ā¢ Speed or power
ā¢ Movement patterns
While wearables are great for trends over time, theyāre not always accurate because:
ā¢ Wrist HR can be affected by sweat, movement, skin tone & temperature
ā¢ Algorithms make assumptions about your fitness
ā¢ Small errors can mean big differences in VOā max values
A lab or clinic-based VOā test measures actual oxygen uptake, not an estimate.
The takeaway
Your watch is a useful guide, but if you want true precision for training, rehab or performance, measured VOā max wins every time.
Train smarter. Measure properly.
