Introduction
At i-Thrive Well-Being in Surrey, we’ve conducted VO₂ Max tests on a range of people from weekend warrior to elite athletes, from fitness enthusiasts to general health seekers, from fast and furious hyrox to ultra endurance athletes, from men and women in their 30s seeking optimal performance to people in their 70s seeking to optimise their longevity. VO₂ Max — the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during exercise — is not just an athletic performance measure; it is one of the strongest predictors of VO₂ Max and Longevity as well as metabolic health (Kodama et al., 2009; Ross et al., 2016).
VO₂ Max is central to our 5 Dimension Model of Thriving. It sits primarily within Exercise & Movement, but it also supports Purpose & Lifestyle by enabling clients to pursue meaningful, active lives. Research shows that individuals with higher VO₂ Max levels live longer, healthier lives, with significantly lower risks of chronic disease (Blair et al., 2019).
What is VO₂ Max and Why Does it Matter?
Understanding the relationship between VO₂ Max and Longevity can greatly influence health choices and lifestyle modifications.
VO₂ Max represents the maximum oxygen uptake during intense exercise. It reflects your cardiovascular, respiratory, and muscular efficiency. Higher VO₂ Max means better endurance, resilience, and recovery.
Unlike body weight or blood pressure, VO₂ Max is a direct measure of fitness and predicts all-cause mortality more accurately than many traditional health markers (Ross et al., 2016). In short: your body’s ability to process oxygen can say more about your future health than a bathroom scale.
How VO₂ Max Changes with Age
VO₂ Max naturally declines by around 10% per decade after age 30 (Fleg et al., 2005). This decline accelerates with inactivity, but structured training can slow or even reverse it.
- Sedentary adults: Experience the steepest decline, often struggling with stairs, carrying shopping, or recovering from illness. Over time, this can mean loss of independence and higher risk of hospitalisation.
- Active adults: Maintain a higher baseline, but still lose VO₂ Max if training intensity isn’t maintained.
- Trained Athletes: A longitudinal study comparing masters athletes and sedentary peers showed that while sedentary individuals experienced a 12% decline in VO₂ Max per decade, endurance-trained master athletes only had a 5.5% decline per decade. This means well-trained athletes age more slowly in terms of aerobic capacity (Rogers et al. 1990).
This means the way you train today can add years — even decades — of healthy, active life.
How to Improve VO₂ Max
The good news: VO₂ Max is highly trainable. Even modest improvements significantly reduce mortality risk (Laukkanen et al., 2016).
- Interval training: High-intensity intervals (HIIT) and VO₂ Max intervals drive the greatest improvements.
- Zone 2 training: Steady-state, sub-threshold aerobic training builds mitochondrial efficiency and supports fat metabolism.
- Strength training: Increases muscular oxygen utilisation and supports overall functional capacity.
- Lifestyle integration: Active commuting, hiking, and recreational sports compound structured training.
At i-Thrive, we combine VO₂ Max testing with your Resting Metabolic Rate, DEXA scans, and coaching across the 5 Dimensions of Thriving to create a personalised roadmap for fitness and longevity.
VO₂ Max and Longevity Research
Evidence is clear: improving cardiorespiratory fitness reduces the risk of early death.
- A meta-analysis of 102,980 participants showed a 45% lower risk of all-cause mortality in the highest VO₂ Max group compared to the lowest (Kodama et al., 2009).
- Longitudinal studies show that each 1 MET increase in fitness (≈ 3.5 ml/kg/min VO₂ Max) is associated with a 13–15% reduction in mortality risk (Ross et al., 2016).
- Even small gains in midlife can extend both lifespan and healthspan (Blair et al., 2019).
Conclusion on Max VO2 and Longevity
Your VO₂ Max is more than a fitness number — it’s a window into your future health and longevity. Whether you’re an athlete, an executive, or simply want to thrive through midlife and beyond, understanding and improving your VO₂ Max is one of the most powerful steps you can take.
At i-Thrive Well-Being near Guildford and Farnham, we specialise in evidence-based assessments that give you the insights and coaching to live healthier, longer.
👉 Book your VO₂ Max test today and take the first step toward thriving across all five dimensions of life.
Reference
Blair, S. N., et al. (2019). Physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and mortality. Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, 62(2), 157–162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcad.2019.01.001
Fleg, J. L., et al. (2005). Accelerated longitudinal decline of aerobic capacity in healthy older adults. Circulation, 112(5), 674–682. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.105.545459
Kodama, S., et al. (2009). Cardiorespiratory fitness as a quantitative predictor of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events. JAMA, 301(19), 2024–2035. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2009.681
Laukkanen, J. A., Zaccardi, F., Khan, H., Kurl, S., Jae, S. Y., & Rauramaa, R. (2016, September). Long-term change in cardiorespiratory fitness and all-cause mortality: a population-based follow-up study. In Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Vol. 91, No. 9, pp. 1183-1188). Elsevier.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2016.05.014
Ross, R., et al. (2016). Importance of assessing cardiorespiratory fitness in clinical practice. Circulation, 134(24), e653–e699. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000461
Rogers, M. A., Hagberg, J. M., Martin, W. H., Ehsani, A. A., & Holloszy, J. O. (1990). Decline in VO₂max with aging in master athletes and sedentary men. Journal of Applied Physiology, 68(5), 2195–2199. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2361923/
Seals, D. R., et al. (1984). VO₂ Max in highly active septuagenarians. Journal of Applied Physiology, 57(1), 1024–1029. https://doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1984.57.4.1024
