What is the most important indicator for your health?

What would you consider to be the most important biometric to help you understand your expected lifespan – and more importantly, your healthspan (the length of time a person is healthy - not just alive)? 

There are LOTS of metrics that you can look at. Some of the most common include:

• Blood Pressure

• Blood Glucose

• Heart Rate Variability

• Body Fat Percentage

• Cholesterol levels

• Triglycerides

• Lipid Levels

• Oxygen Saturation

• Muscle Strength

But this is not an exhaustive list, and there are many more to consider. 

You may have had some of these metrics tested in the past, or even recently, but most people don’t have them tested often unless they are having health issues. 

So if you want to do a health check up regularly, what would be the single best biometric to look at?

It’s nothing I listed above. 

It’s your VO2max!

Your VO2max is the measure of the maximum amount of oxygen that you can use during physical activity. 

Let me explain.

VO2max measures your aerobic capacity, which is the ability of your heart, lungs, and blood vessels to deliver oxygen to your muscles, and the ability of your muscles to use oxygen for energy production. 

VO2max is determined by the weakest link in this system. If any of the biomarkers listed above are impaired or limited, your VO2max will be lower. 

Therefore your VO2max also reflects your health status. The higher your VO2max, the healthier you are, and the lower your risk of developing chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and cancer. The lower your VO2max, the unhealthier you are, and the higher your risk of mortality and morbidity.

This article does an excellent job explaining it in detail.

So how do I find out what my VO2max is? 

The most accurate way is doing a lab test, which we believe everyone should do at some point, but for most people, it’s not practical to do on a regular basis. 

However, the best part of using VO2max as a health indicator is that it’s very easy to approximate it with a simple exercise test. 

And while it might not be exact, it’s quite close, and it doesn’t need to be exact to be meaningful. Even some wearables such as Garmin estimate this for you.

You can test it regularly, and if you’re not in a range you are satisfied with, you can work  to improve it by investing time and energy to enhance your aerobic capacity, muscle strength, and overall fitness. 

So what’s the easiest way to test it?

There are numerous online calculators where you can input metrics and get an approximation. Two of my favorite are: 

RowErg Vo2 Max Calculator :You just need to test your best time to row 2,000 meters.

Bike VO2 Max Calculator You just need to text your maximum average power for 6 minutes.

For RiseUp members who want to get a quick estimate: 

Row (my favorite because it uses upper and lower body)

• Take your threshold pace (time/500m) and multiple it by 4 to get your total time. 

• Example: If your threshold pace is 2:10 and you multiply it by 4 to get 8 minutes and 40 seconds

• Add your weight, gender, and training level (select not highly trained for beginner/intermediate and highly training for advanced/expert)

• Use the chart so see your fitness level

Bike

• Take your threshold pace (watts) and add 10%

• Example: If your threshold pace is 180 watts add 10% (or 18) to get 198

• Take your weight in pounds and divide by 2.2 to get kg.

• Use the chart so see your fitness level

If you are not where you want to be, the good news is that VO2 Max can be greatly improved with consistent training! 

Want to improve your health, a.k.a. VO2max? Come try out a class for free at RiseUp and see how we can help you.

Book your free trial class here.