Cardiovascular Fitness can be defined as the ability to transport and make use of oxygen during constant strenuous exercise displaying the efficiency of the lungs, heart, vascular system, and exercising muscles.
Maximal Aerobic Power, Also Known As VO2 Max, is universally considered to be the key measure of cardiovascular fitness and is an important factor of exercise capacity.
VO2 Max (mL/min) = (Heart Rate x Stroke Volume) x Arterio-Venous Oxygen Difference
The Variation in VO2max across the general population is surprising. Maximal Aerobic Power can vary as much as 300% between healthy persons from below 30ml/kg/min to above 80ml/kg/min.
It is also not uncommon to observe peak aerobic values of less than 10ml/kg/min.
Although VO2max used alone may not decide which elite athlete will achieve the best performance on a given day, a high VO2max is necessary for being competitive at an elite level endurance event.
It is estimated that for an athlete to finish a 2 hour 15 minute marathon, they would need to have a VO2max of 70ml/kg/min to match an average oxygen consumption estimating 60ml/kg/min (corresponding to 80-85% of VO2max).
To give an example, Paula Radcliffe had a VO2max of roughly 70ml/kg/min when she broke the women’s world record for the marathon in 2003 and set a time of 2 hours, 15 minutes, 25 seconds. To approach the male world record of 2 hours, 1 minute, 39 seconds set by Eliud Kipchoge in 2018, an even higher VO2max would be required.
Maximal Aerobic Power (VO2 Max)
