Ask a Coach: Should I Get My VO2 Max Tested?

Recently, I heard a “preeminent fitness expert” (their words) on a podcast say that VO2 max is the most important factor to consider when assessing overall health and longevity. Is this true? And if it is, why don’t we test VO2 max in CrossFit?

Something great about social media and podcasts is they allow opportunities for tons of information to be accessed conveniently. I also love that I have more athletes striving to educate themselves outside of the gym walls via these avenues. This also means I get a lot of questions based on the information people are consuming, and I need to be prepared for them. If you’re coaching, you’re likely in the same boat. For example, I received more questions about VO2 max training in the last year than in my previous 20 years of coaching CrossFit. In this article, we are talking about VO2 max, which also applies to other scientific measures being suggested as the most important fitness marker to focus on. 

So what about V02 max? Is it the most important marker? Should you tell your athletes to go to a lab and get it tested?

What is VO2 max?

First, it’s good to have a little overview of the goal of a VO2 max test. Essentially, VO2 max testing is used as a marker to provide information about your current aerobic capacity, and it does this by measuring how much oxygen you can consume while exercising. Participants wear a heart rate monitor and a mask attached to a machine to analyze their breathing. Participants then exercise on a treadmill or a stationary bike. The test starts at a low intensity, and the assessor gradually increases the difficulty by speed and/or incline on the treadmill or intensity level of the bike. Participants perform the test until maximal exertion (or stop if they feel things like chest pain, dizziness, etc.), typically lasting between 6-20 minutes. Low VO2 max numbers indicate a low level of cardiovascular fitness and may indicate being more at risk of cardiovascular diseases. 

Should I (and my athletes) go to a lab and get tested?

No, and I have a few reasons for that. One issue is that this test’s score is specific to the modality being tested. For example, you could test high on the bike and low on the run. Now, take that further and do a VO2 max test on a common movement in CrossFit, such as a burpee, ski erg, box jump, empty barbell thruster, etc., and the results would be even more mixed. This variability makes it difficult to use VO2 max as a reliable and consistent measure of overall fitness in the context of CrossFit. 

Beyond that, this test has a psychological aspect that gets unaccounted for. For example, some people will continue to work at a high exertion level while others may stop at the same level of perceived exertion. This difference in individual response to exertion can significantly affect the test results, making it less reliable as a sole measure of fitness. So, is this truly just a physiological test? Probably not.

With that said, the test is interesting, and I love geeking out on numbers. If you have the means and desire to get tested, do so. Just know the test is not the end-all-be-all of testing your aerobic fitness. 

Why don’t we test VO2 max in CrossFit?

My answer: We do all the time; it’s just not in the typical manner seen in a laboratory. Any time you repeat a conditioning workout in the 6-20-minute time domain, your VO2 max is also being tested to some degree. The degree of which is determined by the specifics of the workout itself. For example, a 5K row test may be more of a pure indicator of VO2 max when compared to a workout like Cindy for a person who struggles with pull-ups and push-ups. Regardless, I’m willing to wager that if you notice the gross majority of these workouts improving in time or reps/rounds completed, you will also see an improvement in your VO2 max, amongst other things. This practical approach in CrossFit workouts reassures us we are on the right track in improving our fitness levels.

But isn’t VO2 max the most important marker?

In short, no. But I would say this when asked if any single marker is the “most important.” My rationale is that any single marker does not provide enough information. That is what I love about our definition of fitness: work capacity across broad time and modal domains. It takes into account an infinite number of tasks, durations, and modalities to assess your overall fitness level. CrossFit workouts, with their comprehensive nature, are the best training for improving your VO2 max and are assessed across many different modalities daily. This comprehensive approach should instill confidence in our training regimen. 

Ultimately, we’re chasing an increase in fitness (or work capacity) and not a high VO2 score. While our VO2 will undoubtedly increase as we get fitter, we would never sacrifice even one rep, one extra pound lifted, or one extra yard run for improvement in VO2.

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About the Author

Eric O’Connor is a Content Developer and Seminar Staff Flowmaster for CrossFit’s Education Department and the co-creator of the former CrossFit Competitor’s Course. He has led over 400 seminars and has more than a decade of experience coaching at a CrossFit affiliate. He is a Certified CrossFit Coach (CF-L4), a former Division 1 collegiate wrestler, and a former CrossFit Games athlete.