VO2 Max Blog
Research roundups, training-science commentary, video breakdowns, and first-hand lab test notes — updated regularly.
ResearchThe Number That Predicts How Long You'll Live
Every year, millions of people get bloodwork done, check their cholesterol, track their blood pressure, and stress about their BMI. These are fine things to monitor. But there's one number that scienc
TrainingResearchYou Only Need 10 Seconds: The Sprint Method for VO2Max
What if everything you thought you knew about cardio was slightly wrong?
TrainingFrom Couch to Top 25%: How to Improve Your VO2Max
Let's get one thing straight before we start: "elite" doesn't mean Tour de France rider. It means top quartile for your age and sex — and that goal is within reach for almost any healthy adult who tra
ResearchThe 80-Year-Old with the Heart of a 50-Year-Old
Ed Whitlock ran a marathon in under three hours. That's genuinely fast for any age — most runners never break three hours at their peak. Ed did it at age 73. Then again at 76. Then at 80, he ran 3:15
MethodologyWhere VO2Max Experts Agree — and Disagree
Science is supposed to be about consensus. But spend any time in the VO2max world and you'll find smart, credentialed, research-literate people disagreeing about some surprisingly basic questions.
VideoAndrew Huberman on VO2Max: Protocol & Science
If you've spent any time in the health and science podcast world, you know Andrew Huberman. The Stanford neuroscientist turned science communicator has one of the most-listened-to health podcasts in t
VideoAndy Galpin's Complete VO2Max Training Guide
Dr. Andy Galpin is not an influencer who got interested in fitness. He's a professor of kinesiology at California State University who trains professional fighters, world champion athletes, and Specia
VideoIñigo San Millán on Zone 2: The Coach Behind Pogačar
Tadej Pogačar has won the Tour de France multiple times. He's widely considered the most dominant cyclist of his generation — maybe one of the most gifted endurance athletes alive. His coach and sport
VideoRhonda Patrick's VO2Max Protocol: Why She Does Tabata Daily
Dr. Rhonda Patrick is a biomedical scientist who has spent her career studying the molecular mechanisms of aging, nutrition, and exercise. She reads the primary literature obsessively and translates i
MethodologyZone 2 vs HIIT: The Great VO2Max Debate
Two of the smartest people in exercise science walk into a bar. One coaches the best cyclist in the world. The other has published hundreds of peer-reviewed studies on interval training. They order dr
Research40% Don't Respond to Cardio — Are You One of Them?
You've been jogging three times a week for months. You're consistent. You're not lazy. But somehow, you still get winded climbing stairs, your resting heart rate hasn't budged, and you don't feel mean
TrainingThe 10-Minute VO2Max Workout That Actually Works
Before you roll your eyes — this is not a "trick." There's no catch. And it's not going to replace a full training program if you're training for a marathon.
TrainingVO2Max and Weight Training: Can You Do Both?
There's a persistent myth in fitness circles that you have to choose. Cardio OR lifting. VO2max OR muscle. Endurance OR strength.
TrainingThe Norwegian Training Method for VO2Max
Norway has about 5 million people. The United States has 335 million. And yet, in endurance sports — triathlon, cross-country skiing, middle-distance running — Norwegian athletes consistently dominate
MethodologyHow to Test Your VO2Max at Home (Without a Lab)
The gold standard for measuring VO2max involves a treadmill, a face mask connected to gas analyzers, and exercising to complete exhaustion while a scientist measures exactly how much oxygen you're con
TrainingWhat Happens to Your VO2Max After 40 (And How to Fight Back)
There's a number that starts quietly declining in your mid-30s. You probably don't notice it at first. The stairs don't feel quite as effortless. Recovery from a hard workout takes a day longer than i
ResearchLactate Is Not the Enemy — The Science That Rewrites the Rules
Quick quiz: what causes the burning sensation in your muscles during a hard workout?
ResearchVO2Max and Brain Health: The BDNF Connection
Most people think about VO2max in terms of physical performance — running faster, lasting longer, climbing stairs without gasping. That's all real.
TrainingExercise Snacks: The Lazy Person's Guide to VO2Max
Before you click away thinking this is some kind of fitness influencer trick — give it 30 more seconds. Because the study we're about to describe has genuinely shocked exercise scientists.
ResearchInsulin Resistance and VO2Max: The Hidden Connection
Most people think of VO2max as a fitness metric and insulin resistance as a metabolic disease. They live in separate mental boxes: the gym box and the doctor's office box.
ResearchTraining10 VO2 Max Studies Every Runner Should Know in 2026
From Blair 1989 to Mandsager 2018, these are the papers behind every VO2 max claim you see on the internet — plus what each one actually proved.
PersonalMethodologyMy VO2 Max Test at 54: Reading a Real CPET Report Section by Section
I spend most of my working hours on this site explaining how VO2 max tests work. It felt overdue to actually take one. Here is what the five-page report said.