Increasing VO2 Max

Along with my current anaerobic sprint work, I'm thinking of working on my aerobic system as well. I want to ask what different intervals/methods can you use for improving your VO2 Max?

I looked up this link and it gave me a few ideas

http://beta.active.com/running/Articles/How-to-Maximize-Your-VO2max-Training

Could any post some other VO2 Max workouts? 

The article in reference says:

"... There are two major factors that contribute to a high VO2max. One is a strong oxygen transport system, which includes a powerful heart, hemoglobin-packed blood, high blood volume, high capillary density in the muscles, and high mitochondrial density within the muscle cells.

The other is speed, or the capacity to contract a large number of muscle fibers simultaneously, as the more muscle tissue is active at any given moment, the more oxygen the muscles demand..."

In other words, a training program that improves the qualities listed above will likely increase your VO2Max.

The difficulty is to put that sort of training together in a manner that is comprehensive, balanced and also addresses your weaknesses.

For instance, the article is very focused (biased?) towards HIIT - indeed, HIIT will likely increase your VO2max in the shortest time;

However, depending where you are at in your training, it may not allow you to maximize your VO2max level attained over time - maybe long slow runs are also needed to increase your heart endurance and/or volume, some other exercise to increase capillary density, some work in altitude (O2 deprived) to increase hemoglobin, and I don't know what else to increase your overall enzymatic efficiency.

I think that because VO2max is measured indirectly (how far can you run?), learning how to run better and more efficiently will increase your VO2max numbers (measured) without increasing your VO2max (body metabolism capacity)...

Thanks for the idea guys, I checked out the forum and found a thread where Josh mentions "You want repeat sprint performance without sacrificing power? You need 1-2m exertion periods of 100% VO2Max effort with 10 minutes of rest, repeated 5-6 times. "

Are there any other running programs I should try? Or would this take care of everything regarding my VO2 Max?

You're overthinking. Just run and it will come. But then again, why do people even care about a VO2 max? It does not determine actual performance. If the best runner in the world has a VO2 max of 2000, and I have one of 61 (my actual one), and I still beat him in a 5k, does it matter what his VO2 max is? However, I do understand it's a cool thing to say a high number.

I'll leave you these articles written by Steve Magness (former coach of Mo Farah and Galen Rupp, the two Olympic 10k gold and silver medalists, respecitely. Also a very smart person). 

Fallacy of VO2 Max: http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2009/12/fallacy-of-vo2max-and-vo2max.html

Crossfit Endurance/Tabata Sprints: http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2012/01/crossfit-endurance-tabata-sprints-and.html

In endurance events, VO2 Max is not as important as the VO2 at which you hit your lactate threshold. That's when your countdown clock starts ticking.

Higher lactate threshold, in terms of relative VO2, is the best predictor of endurance performance because it marks the amount of oxygen you can use, per kg of body weight, without starting to build up lactate. Once you cross this point, lactate starts to rise, and eventually it will reach a point that forces you to slow down.

http://www.letsrun.com/2012/lactate-0906.php

Joshua Naterman said:

In endurance events, VO2 Max is not as important as the VO2 at which you hit your lactate threshold. That's when your countdown clock starts ticking.

 

Higher lactate threshold, in terms of relative VO2, is the best predictor of endurance performance because it marks the amount of oxygen you can use, per kg of body weight, without starting to build up lactate. Once you cross this point, lactate starts to rise, and eventually it will reach a point that forces you to slow down.

I understand Josh, so would following the program I referenced from you above be a good way to increase my lactate threshold?

While i'm quite new to the gymnastics strength work, my main background is endurance sports.  I have a medical background and have studied exercise physiology extensively.  Here's the gist of what others are saying here, which i believe is the most important aspect of training for endurance sports.

Your VO2 max is largely genetically determined.  You can make small improvements with training at max.  This by it's very nature is exhausting and puts you at substantial risk of overtraining, so most elite level athletes do VO2 max training at most once a week, and only during the last part of the building period, not at all during the base phase of training.  That being said, the fastest way to improve your VO2 max is to lose weight, as it is a body weight dependent measurement (ml O2/kg).  If that means losing muscle mass it may not be worth it, but if you have excess fat to lose, well there's some bonus VO2 points for you!

Your running efficiency and your Lactate (anaerobic) threshold are the 2 components that will have the most impact on your performance.  These folks are mostly right when they say VO2 doesn't correlate with performance.  It does to some degree, but it really only shows what your potential is if you apply yourself.  LT is best improved with interval training around your LT heart rate, which is easy to figure out.  You can improve your LT up to 10% with training which can make a huge difference in your performance.  Your running efficiency (or cycling efficiency, or "sport specific" efficiency) is the biggest wildcard, and that's the main reason you have guys with VO2 max of 70 beating someone else with VO2 max of 80.  Running efficiency is just neuromuscular adaptation and familiarity, with a dose of technique work.  speed work is good for this, as is just running a lot of miles over a lot of years.  It's like gymnastic training in that regard.  I might be stronger than some folks here, but i can't press to a handstand because i dont have the neuromuscular efficiency and training to do that (working on it!). 

So if your looking to improve your VO2 max, I would say "to what end"?  If it's to just improve the number, do more max effort intervals (approximately 1-2 min intervals are best).  If you want to run a faster 5k or 10k, i'd work on my running efficiency and do more LT intervals (generally 4-8 min intervals).  If it's running a marathon, VO2 max is almost a non-factor and i'd work on the latter issues there as well.  Cheers, and good luck with your training.

Domz said:

training at/near your lactate threshold is how you increase your lactate threshold. Be aware of the heart rate at which you hit the threshold and then train around that heart rate.

That's one way.

The other way is high intensity intervals. You don't have to do Tabatas, though they are a time efficient method. You can do 10-20 minutes of higher intensity and lower intensity alternating periods. The high intensity periods will be at or above 90-100% of VO2MAX. You can look up all kinds of programming for high intensity intervals online.

Try to remember that lactate threshold is a function of:

1. Capillary density
2. mitochondrial density
3. cardiac output
4. distribution, and density, of aerobic fibers.

1 and 2 will develop best with high intensity intervals. 3 will develop best with a combination of high intensity intervals and steady state work, because steady state work will stretch the heart chambers and the intervals will improve ejection fraction. Larger chamber + higher ejection fraction = better cardiac output. 4 will develop better from steady state work than it will from intervals, but both will cause a shift.

As you can see, you need both steady state AND interval work if you intend to truly maximize your aerobic performance. You also need strength training. 

I am not going to give details on how to do that for free. For a hobbyist, you can do well enough just by mashing together things you get from google, as long as you don't overtrain.

Maximizing aerobic performance WILL mean that you sacrifice strength and power. You cannot have it all, so choose what means the most to you. it is also worth noting that, at least according to the research available to me, it is much easier to shift tissues towards aerobic function than it is to shift them towards strength and power.

Great post MT Nordic, thanks & welcome to the forum

Great post too Joshua

FredInChina said:

Great post MT Nordic, thanks & welcome to the forum

Great post too Joshua

Thanks, Fred.  Appreciate being made to feel welcome.  I've enjoyed learning from you all over the past couple weeks and am making some good solid work on the foundations program that i'm hopeful will help get past some of the plateaus i was reaching in my previous bodyweight work.  Cheers.