VO₂ Max Improvement of 96% in a Non-Elite Recreational Athlete over 24 Months

Abstract

VO₂ max is a measure of athletic performance and is generally considered an excellent health parameter for athletic performance testing. Various methods are used to generate such a result generally using a treadmill or cycle ergometer. Improvements have been shown through training. The upper limit of such improvement has been difficult to find in the literature in part because testing often starts with individuals already at a superior level of performance. As genetics may play a significant role in an individual's VO₂ max, training can only contribute a portion of the result. Humans have a range of maximal oxygen utilization with upper limits approaching 100 mL/kg. This case report demonstrates a 96% improvement over time secondary to selective intense training. The intent was to document objectively amelioration of the VO₂ max using a defined protocol on standardized testing equipment. This may lead to more efficient training of individuals desiring performance improvement.

Keywords

cardiopulmonary stress test - VO₂ max - exercise induced asthma - aerobic exercise

• References

• 1 Wilmore JH, Costill DL. Physiology of Sport and Exercise. 3rd ed. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics Publishers; 2004
• 2 Danis A, Kyriazis Y, Klissouras V. The effect of training in male prepubertal and pubertal monozygotic twins. Eur J Appl Physiol 2003; 89 (3-4): 309-318
• 3 Bouchard C, Lortie G, Simoneau JA, Leblanc C, Thériault G, Tremblay A. Submaximal power output in adopted and biological siblings. Ann Hum Biol 1984; 11 (04) 303-309
• 4 Bouchard C, Dionne FT, Simoneau JA, Boulay MR. Genetics of aerobic and anaerobic performances. Exerc Sport Sci Rev 1992; 20: 27-58
• 5 Rogers MA, Hagberg JM, Martin III WH, Ehsani AA, Holloszy JO. Decline in VO2max with aging in master athletes and sedentary men. J Appl Physiol (1985) 1990; 68 (05) 2195-2199
• 6 Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. Available at: http://www.tufts.edu/vet/sports/oxygen.html . Accessed February 24, 2009
• 7 Segelken R. Winterize Rover for cold-weather fitness, Cornell veterinarian advises. 1996 . Available at: http:www.news.cornell.edu/releases/Dec96/winterize.hrs.html . Accessed February 24, 2009
• 8 Duffield R, Edge J, Bishop D. Effects of high-intensity interval training on the VO2 response during severe exercise. J Sci Med Sport 2006; 9 (03) 249-255
• 9 McArdle WD, Margel JR, Delio DJ, Toner M, Chase JM. Specificity of run training on VO2 max and heart rate cganges during running and swimming. Med Sci Sports 1978; 10 (01) 16-20
• 10 Dufour SP, Ponsot E, Zoll J. , et al. Exercise training in normobaric hypoxia in endurance runners. I. Improvement in aerobic performance capacity. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2006; 100 (04) 1238-1248
• 11 Lisón JF, Bruñó-Soler A, Torró I, Segura-Ortí E, Alvarez-Pitti J. Changes in physical fitness of a home-based physical exercise program in childhood obesity: A quasi-experimental uncontrolled study. J Child Health Care 2017; 21 (02) 153-161
• 12 Montero D, Lundby C. Refuting the myth of non-response to exercise training: ‘non-responders’ do respond to higher dose of training. J Physiol 2017; 595 (11) 3377-3387