Crazy High Polar VO2 Max

[mcminn]

I did a fitness test on my Polar F11 this morning and it came up with the "VO2 Max" estimate of 77. I'm happy to see my numbers improving, but as a squishy 36 year old who has only been cycling for a few weeks, I doubt MY fitness is the same as the highest ever VO2 Max recorded for a woman.

Does anyone else have this happening? I've googled around and not found anything too useful.

[Veronica]

Did you retest to see if you could repeat the result?

Veronica

[Eden]

While I'm am guessing that your polar watch is rather likely to be overestimating at 77 (it a can only guestimate - an actual V02 requires that the air you are breathing be sampled and the formulas those watches use to guess are notoriously inconsistant), it is more than possible that you do have a high V02. While V02 is a little trainable, most of it (experts say 80%) is genetically determined. Also, simply having a high V02 doesn't automatically mean you will be a great athlete - you have to have all the other factors too - high LT, strong muscles, big lungs etc. I've had mine professionally measured at a little under 72, which is the highest my coach has personally tested in a woman, but I'm certainly not a pack superstar...

Back to your watch though - have you done a max hr test and set it, or have you based your max on the 220-age formula? I'm thinking that right there could be the explanation for the extremely high V0 rating - if it thinks your max hr should be relatively low, but you really have a high max, then it believes during your VO2 "test" that you are working for a long time at a really high capacity..... I'm betting that could easily skew the results of the test.

[mcminn]

The numbers are repeatable, I just rechecked. And I've seen it that high before in years past at the end of summer when I've been extra active.

The test is one of the resting ones that seems to be mostly a measure of resting heart rate and heart rate variability during the test. But good point about the max heart rate anyway. I haven't thought to measure mine, honestly.

[Righteousbabe]

Measuring it using a device like a Polar is not very accurate, it is just an estimate. I had mine measured last year using New Leaf:

http://www.newleaffitness.com/Consumer/Con_home.html

I just went to a personal trainer in the DFW area who uses the New Leaf equipment. I actually had it tested twice last year...once on a treadmill and once using my bike on a trainer. I highly recommend it if there is someone in your area who uses it.

[mcminn]

New Leaf looks like an interesting system. None Down Under though, that I can see.