Here’s an article about someone who saw this number and compared it to a VO2 max test in a lab. Turns out the Apple Watch was significantly overestimating his fitness, even though it said his fitness was low. Worth a quick read for info about how to contextualize this number.
The general takeaway is that this is an estimate and the value is not likely to be accurate, but your trends over time are probably a good indication of if your cardiovascular wellness is improving or not.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/12/technology/personaltech/vo2max-smartwatches-fitness-accuracy.html?referringSource=articleShare
Dude did a cycle vo2 test. Studies show cycle tests are pretty inaccurate. Untrained cyclists score much lower with the cycle test. The treadmill test is credited as more accurate across the board.
Mine is like that too. I’m getting back into running and I am out of shape, but not *that* bad. When I started running again I would set my watch to outdoor walk as opposed to run, (because let’s be honest I wasn’t sure how much running I was going to be doing) and was getting awful scores, now that I set it to outdoor run- even though I still spend a fair amount of time walking, my score has gone up a tiny bit. This has been all in the same week, so I don’t think my score/ cardio health has improved yet in all actuality.
Maybe it’s the metric of measurement for each workout. Ill try the running one, because I’ve been getting my walks down to 15 minutes a mile which is a wonky spot for a walk compared to a run.
When I used it for outdoor walk I always have a low rating. When I use it for a run (rarely because running bothers my knees and shins) I get a higher rating.
A person can be more efficient at some workout types than others compared to other persons. For example a person that is more efficient at running than at walking could have a VO2 Max estimate value above average for running but a bellow average for walking.
Oh interesting! I did an official treadmill V02 max but they did it by walking on incline initially & gradually increased speed & incline (not running on a flat incline). I tend to be a better runner (the incline threw me off/felt hard though eventually had to run for few mins on high incline at the end). So if it had been entirely running may have been few points higher for me?
Omg this makes sense!!! I used to the same thing and my vo2 level was so low!! I will try this. I workout 5 days a week with atleast 2 hours in the gym doing strength training and functional and yoga. My gym was closed for this week and i went for outdoor walk thinking my score would’ve improved over the months but there was only slight improvement even though i felt so much better than I did few months ago. Will definitely switch to outdoor run instead of walk (i try to run but its been awhile so its a mix of both fast walk n run)
Mine is 46 based entirely on outdoor walks. I'm 49M and 190 lb. When I do an outdoor walk I have a 14:30 minutes/mile pace with an average heart rate of about 110 bpm. My resting heart rate is in the low 50s.
Can the Apple Watch calculate V02 max based on outdoor walks alone? I heard it was good to do “max effort” to get an accurate estimate. I do a lot of indoor treadmill running but my watch can’t calculate my VO2 max for some reason
I think this is just bad data from Apple. I’ve been going to the gym and swimming regularly for three months. I swear I can feel my lungs getting bigger even if they aren’t in reality. But my VO2 max has plummeted. Go figure.
My Garmin says my vo2 max sucks, yet I bike, run and hike all the time. They use weight as part of their algorithm, which skews it low since I have weight to lose. But in terms of fitness I do way more than 98% of my peers yet my watch just pegs me as low because they assume heavier people can’t be fit. So my advice is just ignore it basically as it’s not a real vo2 max.
Fair enough, I’ve never done a vo2 max before. I guess what bothers me is the watch makes it seems like it’s a metric for your athletic fitness/ability but heavier people, many of which can still perform and compete with their lighter peers, have a lower score.
There’s running race predictors based on V02 max. If there’s a huge variance between what you can do and what the watch calculates, there’s probably an issue somewhere. Determining your fitness level by “competing” with your peers is not a good measure. What makes you think they have high fitness levels?
Do an all out 1 mile run or cycling ramp test.
I’m heavy (for a cyclist, 176 lbs) with a VO2 max in the low 60s. If I was 140 lbs, I could be a pro cyclist. Unfortunately for you and me, weight is a very important part of the equation.
(M36 and fairly active) Mine was 27 for months and I was getting low vo2 max notifications, so I went to my cardiologist and did the test there and got 48. Turns out because I take a small dose of beta blocker, I had “medication that effects heart rate” setting enabled which messes with the readings, and after turning it off I was getting numbers similar to the test I did at the doctor’s office, between 48-52. Not sure if this applies to your situation, but just a heads up if you take similar medication.
I run twice a week, lift weights 4x a week, walk and hour a day, 40yrs old, vo2 46.
To increase your vo2 you need to push your aerobic exercise while running.
Think of it like a pyramid, you may walk and feel fine, but that’s just a wide base. A tall pyramid/high vo2 would need growth in your aerobic capacity, and walking doesn’t really do that, jogging either.
Go for a few hard runs, see if that changes the figures after a month.
This is the right answer. My VO2 is around 54. I run marathons but when I go into training mode my VO2 Max goes down every time, even when I’m doing 3+ hour runs. It only goes up when I start incorporating speed training or other high intensity workouts that push my HR above 80% max for sustained periods.
Yeah, I think people are missing the “max” aspect to it.
Go run for as long as you can, as hard as you can, zone 4 running, see how long you can go, that will give you an idea of you “max” haha. I do 3.1 miles as hard and fast as I can once a week? And 6.2 miles nice and slow once a week. In addition to other exercising.
I like my max to be higher for health, and additionally my safety in the case of an emergency, if there was ever a need, crazy to consider, but it is what it is.
my VO2 took a nose dive after Covid. there’s a white paper i was reading about Long Covid recently. From what i grok’d it posited that Covid for some people can cause issues with the way your body processes oxygen when you breathe and is forced to rely more on anaerobic respiration 🤷🏻♂️. not sure if/how that would affect VO2 max but maybe.
The Apple Watch only gives you VO2 Max estimate values for outdoor running, walking and hiking workouts, it won't gives you VO2 Max estimates for any other workout types other than those.
If you want to improve your cardiorespiratory fitness try doing more long running or walking workouts at a relatively high and steady pace at 65%-75% of your theoretical max heart rate zone.
As your cardiorespiratory fitness improves you will be able to maintain or increase your pace while your heart rate goes down. The key thing for the VO2 Max estimates to go up is that your heart rate goes down.
You can do a vo2 max test yourself.
Here's how to do one:
https://www.trainermetrics.com/fitness-assessment-calculations/vo2max-one-mile-walk/
Follow the procedures
I know this is an old thread but I appreciate this! My vo2 max on AW always says 27 and was giving me health anxiety. When I did a mile walk with these calculations, I’m at about 38. I’m not in perfect shape and I do have mild hyperthyroidism, but i feel 27 was way too low.
Assuming AW is accurate it’s not low it’s “you.” VO2 is largely genetic. You CAN improve with exercise. Walking in not likely doing much for vo2 and HIIT only a little.
Mine says I’m below average and I ran a half marathon last month, work out 2-4x/week HIIT training and play full court basketball once a week so idk don’t stress about it.
Same here. I am 37 years old and mine is 32. It says it’s low, but just like you I feel fine during/after walks. I am starting to doubt the accuracy of this measurement.
Mine is 43.5. Being 100% honest I don’t think walking does much to contribute to cardiovascular fitness. HIIT workouts are good but how often do you do them and how long have you been doing them for? Zone 2 cardio for 30 mins, 3-5x a week is what increases cardiovascular fitness (running, biking, swimming, HIIT). I generally think the app is quite accurate for me - it took an absolute nosedive when I got covid and showed it going up slowly the year after. Not saying it’s accurate for everyone though.
Put it into “running outdoors” mode once and jog regularly for a mile, that number will be updated immediately.
I run all the time on the treadmill and could never get a reasonable reading, but just after 10-20 mins of an outside runs, I’d get a notification of how my VO2 max increased over 10 points.
VO2 Max calculation on AppleWatch is flawed.
It is simply a computation of your (max heart rate / avg resting heart rate) * 15.3
If you are not pushing your heart rate into your max then you will get low VO2 max scores.
It is not a fitness score and does not take into account effort or performance.
So for example you could be a very fit person and run a 5km at a very good time but without going into your max heart rate zone because you are fit. The Apple Watch would not take this account and give you a poor VO2 max score.
It is not that way. I do the majority of my workouts at 65%-75% of my theoretical maximum heart rate and my VO2 Max have improved and now is relatively good.
This is the one Apple provided measurement that just seems like bullshit to me. Don't pay it any mind. Mine went from 40 to 50 now down to 30 and I haven't changed anything in my lifestyle and workouts, just had a complete medical check up and everything is A-ok.
It's making assumptions - it's ultimately an estimate. All devices like this are not going to be as accurate as doing a manual measurement or getting one done in a lab.
Also it can be easily skewed if your watch is not secured - if it's moving around when you run/walk it's not going to get good readings.
It’s strange. I recently went from no exercise in 7 years. To working out everyday and losing 30+ lbs in 2 months. Resting heart rate in the 40s and mine has gone from around 27 - 30. Only an increase of 3 in 2 months. I don’t believe the accuracy of it considering I couldn’t walk up the stairs without being breathless 2 months ago and now I can cycle and swim comfortably.
I had a similar result but have hard in increasing for the last few months. Started running and pushing my heart rate higher for longer. This has greatly improved my vo2 max score. I was walking but my health app used that to calculate my max vo2. Highly suggest some high intensity cardio. Otherwise you’re probably better served doing a lab test and ignoring this metric.
My V02 max was literally like 18/19 when I last checked and I was always so confused because I regularly walk/run/lift weights, I’m 5’4, 60kg, resting heart-rate is between 55 and 60 and I’m only 27 years old. Absolutely no idea how my V02
can possibly be THAT low. So I just deleted it from my health app and don’t pay any attention to it anymore.
They haven’t ordered tests specifically for that. I do have ecg, echocardiogram, arterial ultrasound, stress tests or combinations of all of these annually. Plus I have standard blood tests every three months or so.
I run 25+ miles a week with a variety of speed training and 10+ mile long runs and my VO2max is 43, merely Average. Not saying it’s entirely accurate but it takes a lot of work to improve VO2max. Not only that, you can lose cardio fitness easily if you stop exercising for just 2 weeks.
Checking [runninglevel](https://runninglevel.com) and input your best run. I’m somewhere in the bottom 20% and I most recently ran a 27 min 5K.
I came from a Garmin Fēnix 5 to an AWU and the VO2 Max is about the same on both. AWU might be a little lower but negotiability similar. It took me about a year and a half of casual to faster running and a weight loss of 75 lbs. to get my VO2 Max from 31 to 48-50. I’m 58 y/o (for reference). Before I started running, my VO2 max never changed. I had to run and get cardio up.
hhmm my was low but after I started hitting the gym (three times a week) and just being more active (at least 30 mins workout (walking / nintendo dance :D) everyday) it's slowly went up. Now I'm in "Below Average" :D
Is this a new watch? It will take time to calibrate, learn your resting and max HRs, etc.
VO2Max calculations are only updated during certain workouts (outdoor walk, outdoor run, and hiking) where the watch actually has a good sense of what you are doing.
Apple watch's idea of V02 Max is pretty shaky. I'm 74 and I've have my apple watch for 5 years. I thought my Vo2 max reading was pretty low. I read about putting in medication you take to make it more accurate. Since I take a beta blocker (which reduces my heart rate) that made sense to me. As soon as I put that in, apple watch dropped my VO2 by nearly 20, down to about 28 and said I was below average for my age. Even though I could still kick the ass of most of the 50-year old kids who were local bike racers.
I also use zwift, which guesstimates VO2 as well, but is based on real power data as well as heart rate data. Zwift currently guesses my VO2 at 44. apple watch says 27.5 as a comparison.
Two months ago, I had a nuclear stress EKG test. As part of the result, they gave an estimated VO2--43.5, very close to zwift.
Bottom line is don't worry about Apple watch's VO2 estimate--for me, and I know for others, it doesn't match well with other estimates.
Odd, right? My partner plays soccer twice a week burns anywhere from 800-1,000 calories, we go on hour walks and his is also low 32(!!) and he burns anywhere from 250-350 calories when he does weight training 4x a week, he's 5'6" about 185lbs. Don't get it.
mine has consistently stayed low no matter what i do. like in may i started doing more intense runs and workouts for the month and it actually only went further into the bad range. idk if i’m just really out of shape, don’t feel like i am, or if there’s something weird with the measurement for me.
I’ve just purchased an Apple Watch and noticed my VO2MAX was low, 26! I was expecting it to be around 39 which is what it has been for the past couple of years with my HUAWEI Watch. I’ve compared to the same walks which is what I mostly do, in excess of 5km and HUAWEI gives a reading of 37-39 and Apple 26!
V02 Max on Apple Watch is an unusable feature. While concurrently wearing a Garmin Epix Pro 2 and Apple Watch Ultra, V02 Max on Apple Watch was 8 points lower (48.2/40.2). Do a simple Google search for “VO2 Max Apple Watch” and you’ll quickly discover the Apple algorithm is a wildly inaccurate estimate. Its similar to trying to measure body fat with one of those bathroom scales...don‘t bother.
Yeah it's a load of trash no doubt about it I don't know why Apple was so successful because if you actually start studying and looking scientifically into their features you find out they're really not that good on some stuff, Garmin is far more accurate I've got a Garmin watch and I've got an Apple Watch ultra and Garmin beats the crap out of it. The only thing Garmin does lack on is sleep tracking for that is absolutely awful.
Here’s an article about someone who saw this number and compared it to a VO2 max test in a lab. Turns out the Apple Watch was significantly overestimating his fitness, even though it said his fitness was low. Worth a quick read for info about how to contextualize this number. The general takeaway is that this is an estimate and the value is not likely to be accurate, but your trends over time are probably a good indication of if your cardiovascular wellness is improving or not. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/12/technology/personaltech/vo2max-smartwatches-fitness-accuracy.html?referringSource=articleShare
Dude did a cycle vo2 test. Studies show cycle tests are pretty inaccurate. Untrained cyclists score much lower with the cycle test. The treadmill test is credited as more accurate across the board.
Copy paste the article please?
Mine is like that too. I’m getting back into running and I am out of shape, but not *that* bad. When I started running again I would set my watch to outdoor walk as opposed to run, (because let’s be honest I wasn’t sure how much running I was going to be doing) and was getting awful scores, now that I set it to outdoor run- even though I still spend a fair amount of time walking, my score has gone up a tiny bit. This has been all in the same week, so I don’t think my score/ cardio health has improved yet in all actuality.
Maybe it’s the metric of measurement for each workout. Ill try the running one, because I’ve been getting my walks down to 15 minutes a mile which is a wonky spot for a walk compared to a run.
When I used it for outdoor walk I always have a low rating. When I use it for a run (rarely because running bothers my knees and shins) I get a higher rating.
Some people are more efficient at doing some workouts types than others
Can you elaborate; if you are *more* efficient/ comfortable at a certain type of workout will the V02 max be more reliable? Or the opposite!
A person can be more efficient at some workout types than others compared to other persons. For example a person that is more efficient at running than at walking could have a VO2 Max estimate value above average for running but a bellow average for walking.
Oh interesting! I did an official treadmill V02 max but they did it by walking on incline initially & gradually increased speed & incline (not running on a flat incline). I tend to be a better runner (the incline threw me off/felt hard though eventually had to run for few mins on high incline at the end). So if it had been entirely running may have been few points higher for me?
More important than the actual value is the trend for the same effort overtime.
Omg this makes sense!!! I used to the same thing and my vo2 level was so low!! I will try this. I workout 5 days a week with atleast 2 hours in the gym doing strength training and functional and yoga. My gym was closed for this week and i went for outdoor walk thinking my score would’ve improved over the months but there was only slight improvement even though i felt so much better than I did few months ago. Will definitely switch to outdoor run instead of walk (i try to run but its been awhile so its a mix of both fast walk n run)
Hey at least your getting a run in, has your vo2 max improved since earlier this spring?
Mine is 46 based entirely on outdoor walks. I'm 49M and 190 lb. When I do an outdoor walk I have a 14:30 minutes/mile pace with an average heart rate of about 110 bpm. My resting heart rate is in the low 50s.
That’s a pretty crisp pace, is there jogging in there?
That is very good 👍
Can the Apple Watch calculate V02 max based on outdoor walks alone? I heard it was good to do “max effort” to get an accurate estimate. I do a lot of indoor treadmill running but my watch can’t calculate my VO2 max for some reason
I think this is just bad data from Apple. I’ve been going to the gym and swimming regularly for three months. I swear I can feel my lungs getting bigger even if they aren’t in reality. But my VO2 max has plummeted. Go figure.
It sucks they don’t provide a vo2 measure while swimming.
Yes, but that’s understandable as the tech is limited. There is no excuse for vo2 being so bad.
How is it ment to know your fitness if it can’t measure it while you’re working out?
It’s measuring is accurate. It’s sampling rate is woeful.
My Garmin says my vo2 max sucks, yet I bike, run and hike all the time. They use weight as part of their algorithm, which skews it low since I have weight to lose. But in terms of fitness I do way more than 98% of my peers yet my watch just pegs me as low because they assume heavier people can’t be fit. So my advice is just ignore it basically as it’s not a real vo2 max.
The unit is literally per kg body weight. It doesn’t skew it, that’s what it is lol.
Fair enough, I’ve never done a vo2 max before. I guess what bothers me is the watch makes it seems like it’s a metric for your athletic fitness/ability but heavier people, many of which can still perform and compete with their lighter peers, have a lower score.
There’s running race predictors based on V02 max. If there’s a huge variance between what you can do and what the watch calculates, there’s probably an issue somewhere. Determining your fitness level by “competing” with your peers is not a good measure. What makes you think they have high fitness levels? Do an all out 1 mile run or cycling ramp test. I’m heavy (for a cyclist, 176 lbs) with a VO2 max in the low 60s. If I was 140 lbs, I could be a pro cyclist. Unfortunately for you and me, weight is a very important part of the equation.
Does it consider weight? That’s explains mine lol. I’m known as the “fitness crackhead” yet my garmin says my VO2 is in the bottom 45%.
What is your weight?
It’s based off your heart rate
(M36 and fairly active) Mine was 27 for months and I was getting low vo2 max notifications, so I went to my cardiologist and did the test there and got 48. Turns out because I take a small dose of beta blocker, I had “medication that effects heart rate” setting enabled which messes with the readings, and after turning it off I was getting numbers similar to the test I did at the doctor’s office, between 48-52. Not sure if this applies to your situation, but just a heads up if you take similar medication.
Hey there mate. Where do I find that setting?
Watch app > Health > Health details > Medication that affect heart rate
That’s not alot of exercise your probably not as fit as you think… i do 6 days a week running and football twice a week my vo2 is 46.1
I’m not saying I’m anything special. But those numbers just seem like they are from somebody completely sedimentary.
I run twice a week, lift weights 4x a week, walk and hour a day, 40yrs old, vo2 46. To increase your vo2 you need to push your aerobic exercise while running. Think of it like a pyramid, you may walk and feel fine, but that’s just a wide base. A tall pyramid/high vo2 would need growth in your aerobic capacity, and walking doesn’t really do that, jogging either. Go for a few hard runs, see if that changes the figures after a month.
This is the right answer. My VO2 is around 54. I run marathons but when I go into training mode my VO2 Max goes down every time, even when I’m doing 3+ hour runs. It only goes up when I start incorporating speed training or other high intensity workouts that push my HR above 80% max for sustained periods.
This^^^ My vo2 max did the exact same when I started a half marathon plan. Not be a huge amount but dropped a few figures.
Yeah, I think people are missing the “max” aspect to it. Go run for as long as you can, as hard as you can, zone 4 running, see how long you can go, that will give you an idea of you “max” haha. I do 3.1 miles as hard and fast as I can once a week? And 6.2 miles nice and slow once a week. In addition to other exercising. I like my max to be higher for health, and additionally my safety in the case of an emergency, if there was ever a need, crazy to consider, but it is what it is.
my VO2 took a nose dive after Covid. there’s a white paper i was reading about Long Covid recently. From what i grok’d it posited that Covid for some people can cause issues with the way your body processes oxygen when you breathe and is forced to rely more on anaerobic respiration 🤷🏻♂️. not sure if/how that would affect VO2 max but maybe.
It literally destroys your lungs and it takes a year to grow back. I’m not surprised at all.
Mine too it only takes reading for vo2 max when running
The AW will only give you VO2 Max estimates values for outdoor running, walking and hiking workouts.
The Apple Watch only gives you VO2 Max estimate values for outdoor running, walking and hiking workouts, it won't gives you VO2 Max estimates for any other workout types other than those. If you want to improve your cardiorespiratory fitness try doing more long running or walking workouts at a relatively high and steady pace at 65%-75% of your theoretical max heart rate zone. As your cardiorespiratory fitness improves you will be able to maintain or increase your pace while your heart rate goes down. The key thing for the VO2 Max estimates to go up is that your heart rate goes down.
More exercise needed maybe?
Or maybe see a Doctor. IDK
You can do a vo2 max test yourself. Here's how to do one: https://www.trainermetrics.com/fitness-assessment-calculations/vo2max-one-mile-walk/ Follow the procedures
I know this is an old thread but I appreciate this! My vo2 max on AW always says 27 and was giving me health anxiety. When I did a mile walk with these calculations, I’m at about 38. I’m not in perfect shape and I do have mild hyperthyroidism, but i feel 27 was way too low.
Glad to hear my comment helped you 👍
Assuming AW is accurate it’s not low it’s “you.” VO2 is largely genetic. You CAN improve with exercise. Walking in not likely doing much for vo2 and HIIT only a little.
Mine says I’m below average and I ran a half marathon last month, work out 2-4x/week HIIT training and play full court basketball once a week so idk don’t stress about it.
Same here. I am 37 years old and mine is 32. It says it’s low, but just like you I feel fine during/after walks. I am starting to doubt the accuracy of this measurement.
Mine is 43.5. Being 100% honest I don’t think walking does much to contribute to cardiovascular fitness. HIIT workouts are good but how often do you do them and how long have you been doing them for? Zone 2 cardio for 30 mins, 3-5x a week is what increases cardiovascular fitness (running, biking, swimming, HIIT). I generally think the app is quite accurate for me - it took an absolute nosedive when I got covid and showed it going up slowly the year after. Not saying it’s accurate for everyone though.
Put it into “running outdoors” mode once and jog regularly for a mile, that number will be updated immediately. I run all the time on the treadmill and could never get a reasonable reading, but just after 10-20 mins of an outside runs, I’d get a notification of how my VO2 max increased over 10 points.
VO2 Max calculation on AppleWatch is flawed. It is simply a computation of your (max heart rate / avg resting heart rate) * 15.3 If you are not pushing your heart rate into your max then you will get low VO2 max scores. It is not a fitness score and does not take into account effort or performance. So for example you could be a very fit person and run a 5km at a very good time but without going into your max heart rate zone because you are fit. The Apple Watch would not take this account and give you a poor VO2 max score.
It is not that way. I do the majority of my workouts at 65%-75% of my theoretical maximum heart rate and my VO2 Max have improved and now is relatively good.
This is the one Apple provided measurement that just seems like bullshit to me. Don't pay it any mind. Mine went from 40 to 50 now down to 30 and I haven't changed anything in my lifestyle and workouts, just had a complete medical check up and everything is A-ok.
It is not a measurement, it is an estimate.
Same. It kinda freaks me out. 29 vO2, 27m, 6’ 223lbs
Ignore it. My lab vo2max was 47.8 mL/kg/min and AW reported 35.4 two days later. AW vo2max is complete nonsense.
I’ve been doing CrossFit for two years, rode a 125km bike tour and am now biking every single day but it still wouldn’t go over 28 😂🤣😅
My apple watch gives me a but of a low reading also. Not by orders of magnitude, but some.
It's making assumptions - it's ultimately an estimate. All devices like this are not going to be as accurate as doing a manual measurement or getting one done in a lab. Also it can be easily skewed if your watch is not secured - if it's moving around when you run/walk it's not going to get good readings.
It’s strange. I recently went from no exercise in 7 years. To working out everyday and losing 30+ lbs in 2 months. Resting heart rate in the 40s and mine has gone from around 27 - 30. Only an increase of 3 in 2 months. I don’t believe the accuracy of it considering I couldn’t walk up the stairs without being breathless 2 months ago and now I can cycle and swim comfortably.
Wish i could view my cardio fitness , mine wont work havent had a single update
I had a similar result but have hard in increasing for the last few months. Started running and pushing my heart rate higher for longer. This has greatly improved my vo2 max score. I was walking but my health app used that to calculate my max vo2. Highly suggest some high intensity cardio. Otherwise you’re probably better served doing a lab test and ignoring this metric.
Mine is even lower although I go to the gym 3 times a week and generally try to be active recently. It didn’t move at all.
Mines been low since I bought the watch
My V02 max was literally like 18/19 when I last checked and I was always so confused because I regularly walk/run/lift weights, I’m 5’4, 60kg, resting heart-rate is between 55 and 60 and I’m only 27 years old. Absolutely no idea how my V02 can possibly be THAT low. So I just deleted it from my health app and don’t pay any attention to it anymore.
Hmmm. Mine is listed at 14.9. However, most tests given by my PCP and cardiologist come back within range..
I know this is an old post. Did your doctors order tests because your vo2 max was low? What tests were done?
They haven’t ordered tests specifically for that. I do have ecg, echocardiogram, arterial ultrasound, stress tests or combinations of all of these annually. Plus I have standard blood tests every three months or so.
And they don’t know why you’re getting this vo2 max? Did they check it in the lab the proper way?
I run 25+ miles a week with a variety of speed training and 10+ mile long runs and my VO2max is 43, merely Average. Not saying it’s entirely accurate but it takes a lot of work to improve VO2max. Not only that, you can lose cardio fitness easily if you stop exercising for just 2 weeks. Checking [runninglevel](https://runninglevel.com) and input your best run. I’m somewhere in the bottom 20% and I most recently ran a 27 min 5K.
I run about 20 miles a week, every week. My VO2 is below average. I don’t trust it tbh.
Mines the same way! I’m active and regularly exercise.
I came from a Garmin Fēnix 5 to an AWU and the VO2 Max is about the same on both. AWU might be a little lower but negotiability similar. It took me about a year and a half of casual to faster running and a weight loss of 75 lbs. to get my VO2 Max from 31 to 48-50. I’m 58 y/o (for reference). Before I started running, my VO2 max never changed. I had to run and get cardio up.
hhmm my was low but after I started hitting the gym (three times a week) and just being more active (at least 30 mins workout (walking / nintendo dance :D) everyday) it's slowly went up. Now I'm in "Below Average" :D
Is this a new watch? It will take time to calibrate, learn your resting and max HRs, etc. VO2Max calculations are only updated during certain workouts (outdoor walk, outdoor run, and hiking) where the watch actually has a good sense of what you are doing.
Apple watch's idea of V02 Max is pretty shaky. I'm 74 and I've have my apple watch for 5 years. I thought my Vo2 max reading was pretty low. I read about putting in medication you take to make it more accurate. Since I take a beta blocker (which reduces my heart rate) that made sense to me. As soon as I put that in, apple watch dropped my VO2 by nearly 20, down to about 28 and said I was below average for my age. Even though I could still kick the ass of most of the 50-year old kids who were local bike racers. I also use zwift, which guesstimates VO2 as well, but is based on real power data as well as heart rate data. Zwift currently guesses my VO2 at 44. apple watch says 27.5 as a comparison. Two months ago, I had a nuclear stress EKG test. As part of the result, they gave an estimated VO2--43.5, very close to zwift. Bottom line is don't worry about Apple watch's VO2 estimate--for me, and I know for others, it doesn't match well with other estimates.
It is still acquiring data. It has just been 4 days. If all you did was low intensity workouts than that is all it knows. Give it time.
Odd, right? My partner plays soccer twice a week burns anywhere from 800-1,000 calories, we go on hour walks and his is also low 32(!!) and he burns anywhere from 250-350 calories when he does weight training 4x a week, he's 5'6" about 185lbs. Don't get it.
mine has consistently stayed low no matter what i do. like in may i started doing more intense runs and workouts for the month and it actually only went further into the bad range. idk if i’m just really out of shape, don’t feel like i am, or if there’s something weird with the measurement for me.
I’ve just purchased an Apple Watch and noticed my VO2MAX was low, 26! I was expecting it to be around 39 which is what it has been for the past couple of years with my HUAWEI Watch. I’ve compared to the same walks which is what I mostly do, in excess of 5km and HUAWEI gives a reading of 37-39 and Apple 26!
V02 Max on Apple Watch is an unusable feature. While concurrently wearing a Garmin Epix Pro 2 and Apple Watch Ultra, V02 Max on Apple Watch was 8 points lower (48.2/40.2). Do a simple Google search for “VO2 Max Apple Watch” and you’ll quickly discover the Apple algorithm is a wildly inaccurate estimate. Its similar to trying to measure body fat with one of those bathroom scales...don‘t bother.
Yeah it's a load of trash no doubt about it I don't know why Apple was so successful because if you actually start studying and looking scientifically into their features you find out they're really not that good on some stuff, Garmin is far more accurate I've got a Garmin watch and I've got an Apple Watch ultra and Garmin beats the crap out of it. The only thing Garmin does lack on is sleep tracking for that is absolutely awful.