How to Raise VO2max and What to Expect
Sports watches have been reporting VO2max for years. The number might read 48, it might read 55, and higher is better. What matters more is how to raise it systematically, and what a few months of work realistically returns.
What VO2max is and why triathletes track it
VO2max is maximal oxygen uptake during hard effort, expressed in ml/kg/min. A higher figure means more aerobic energy produced per kilogram of body mass. In triathlon it sets the ceiling. It is not the only thing that decides a result, because running economy and threshold matter heavily too, but without the aerobic ceiling the rest has nothing to draw on.
A regularly training age-grouper usually sits between 45 and 55 ml/kg/min. Professional triathletes come in at 70 to 85 ml/kg/min, with values for professional women usually more than ten percent lower. Every few units upward is a real difference on course.
What the best in the world have
Laboratory figures circulate online in heavily rounded form. Below are the results most often cited in the literature and the trade press.
| Athlete | Sport | VO2max |
|---|---|---|
| Kristian Blummenfelt | triathlon | 101 (disputed) |
| Oskar Svendsen | cycling | 97.5 |
| Espen Harald Bjerke | cross country skiing | about 96 |
| Tadej Pogačar | cycling | about 96 (estimate) |
| Greg LeMond | cycling | 92.5 |
| Kilian Jornet | ultra | 92 |
| Chris Froome | cycling | 88.2 |
| Thibaut Pinot | cycling | 85 |
| Eliud Kipchoge | marathon | about 70 (estimate) |
Blummenfelt’s 101: why the figure is questioned
In early 2026 Blummenfelt’s team announced a result of 101.1 ml/kg/min from a test in Bergen. It would be the first documented three-figure result on record. The problem is that the number went to Instagram rather than to a peer-reviewed journal.
Physiologists picked up on one detail visible on the test screen: the respiratory exchange ratio read 0.93. In a genuine maximal test it should pass 1.0, because a lower value usually means the athlete stopped before reaching the ceiling. The protocol used for the test is also unknown.
Until the data goes through scientific review, the record holder remains Oskar Svendsen at 97.5. Earlier measurements of Blummenfelt himself, cited in the context of the Norwegian squad, sat around 90 to 92, with his team mates Gustav Iden and Casper Stornes in the mid 80s.
Why Kipchoge sits lowest in this table
This is the most interesting row in the set. The best marathon runner in history has an aerobic ceiling estimated at around 70, lower than plenty of ambitious age-groupers after a few seasons. He wins on running economy and on the ability to hold a high percentage of that ceiling for two hours.
The practical conclusion follows. VO2max sets the ceiling, but the result comes down to how close to that ceiling an athlete can race. Threshold work and zone 1 to 2 volume are not an add-on to intervals, they are the other half of the same job.
What actually raises VO2max
This is where most age-groupers lose time: they train a lot, but too gently to generate adaptation. Research points consistently to three kinds of stimulus.
1. Intervals at VO2max (3 to 8 min)
The most effective method. The best studied variant is the Norwegian 4 × 4 minutes at an intensity matching 90 to 95% of maximum heart rate, on the bike usually around 105 to 120% of FTP, with a 3 min active recovery. In studies this protocol can lift VO2max by more than ten percent in eight weeks and beats the same volume of work done at lower intensity.
The 3 to 8 minute window has a reason behind it. Shorter efforts do not generate enough stimulus, because the cardiovascular system needs roughly a minute and a half to come up to full output. Longer ones degrade quality, since they finish at an intensity that has dropped below the VO2max ceiling.
Variants that work just as well:
- 4 × 6 min: a harder stimulus for athletes who already have a good base
- 8 × 3 min: better on a smaller running base, because shorter segments load the Achilles tendon more gently
- 30/30, meaning 30 s very hard and 30 s easy: works well on the bike and is mentally easier
2. Threshold work (lactate threshold, FTP)
Sessions of 20 to 40 minutes around lactate threshold support VO2max indirectly, by improving aerobic efficiency. It is the foundation: without a solid threshold, VO2max intervals do not hold.
3. High volume in zone 1 to 2
Frequently underrated. Weeks of 10 to 15 h of easy training build a dense capillary network and increase cardiac stroke volume. The effect does not show up after a month. It does after a year.
How many weeks, how many sessions
Research indicates that a measurable rise in VO2max appears after 6 to 8 weeks of systematic intervals. Good responders sometimes see it sooner.
Realistic expectations for an age-grouper:
- Beginner to intermediate, under five years of training: a rise of more than ten percent is possible within a single season
- Experienced athlete, over seven years of training: a few percent is a very good outcome. VO2max has a strong genetic component, with heritability estimated at around half, and the closer to the ceiling, the harder each further unit becomes
On dosage, one or two VO2max sessions a week is enough. More usually does not speed up adaptation, and brings overload sooner.
Mistakes that stall progress
Too much, too often. One solid interval session a week plus good recovery gives more than three mediocre sessions back to back on poor sleep.
Starting the first reps too fast. If the first two of four intervals are much quicker than the last ones, the session went out too hard. The pace has to be holdable across the whole block.
No periodisation. VO2max is not a year round target. A block of 4 to 6 weeks first, then a clear rest or a base phase, then the next block.
Ignoring sleep. Research on athletes shows that chronic sleep restriction lowers training adaptation. The best plan in the world will not move the number without sleep. The recommendation for training athletes is 7 to 9 hours a night.
Where to do VO2max sessions
On the bike. Lower injury risk than on a treadmill and precise control of power. The ideal setup is a trainer or quiet roads without traffic lights.
Running, off road or on a treadmill. Effectiveness is high, but the load on the musculoskeletal system is greater, so it does not belong in a heavy running week.
In the pool. Swim intervals do work on aerobic capacity, but VO2max measured in swimming is a different tank from the cycling or running one. All three need work, and a rise on the bike does not transfer directly to the run.
How to track progress without a lab
- 12 minute test (Cooper): cover the maximum possible distance in 12 minutes. VO2max is approximately (distance in metres – 504.9) / 44.73. That is Cooper’s original 1968 formula, and it correlates well with a laboratory measurement.
- Ramp test on the bike: power rises every minute, and the last completed step multiplied by 0.75 gives approximate FTP
- Sports watch: the data is approximate, but the trend over time can be reliable. Watch the direction rather than the absolute value
Read next: Garmin CIRQA Test: Where the Data Vanishes. Racelify lists triathlons worldwide, each with a link to the organiser.