HOW OLD IS YOUR BODY?

How old is your body? - in other words, what’s your Fitness Age vs your Actual Age?

Unlike your actual age, your fitness age is largely determined by your VO2 max—a measurement that determines how well your body uses oxygen.

If your VO2 max is high, you have a good capacity for aerobic endurance, and you might be much younger than your driver’s license says, and live longer!?A low VO2 max, is associated with increased risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and to a lesser extent your chances of dying from cancer.

You can measure your VO2 max with your smart phone and the good news is that – unlike your actual age – you can lower your fitness age with the right kinds of activity.?

WHAT IS YOUR VO2 MAX?

VO2 max is?generally regarded as?the best indicator of cardiorespiratory fitness. It reveals how much oxygen your body is able to consume during maximum effort.?The higher your VO2max, the more oxygen your body can use – and the better your aerobic fitness.

VO2 max?is considered an excellent measure of your physical Fitness Age (physiological?age) and is closely correlated to your healthy life expectancy.

HOW IS VO2 MAX MEASURED?

VO2max is usually measured in milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute (ml/kg/min).?

You can view your VO2 Max on your smart watch. For example if you have an Apple watch, then:

• Open the Health app on your iPhone, then tap Browse.
• Tap Heart, then tap Cardio Fitness.
• Tap D, W or Y to view your average for the Day, Week or Year.
• Tap Show All Cardio Fitness Levels.
• Tap a cardio fitness level to compare your results to other levels based on your age and sex.

If your VO2max is below average for your age group, your fitness age is older than your actual age and vice versa. If you have a good capacity for aerobic endurance, you might be much younger than your driver’s license says.?A 30-year old can have a fitness age between 20 and 79, depending on VO2 max.

WHY IS VO2 MAX IMPORTANT?

A low VO2 max – meaning a higher fitness age – is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. People who have lower cardiorespiratory fitness have also higher risk of developing certain cancers, including lung, breast and gastrointestinal cancers.

VO2 max can predict the risk of early death even better than some traditional risk factors like being overweight, high cholesterol, or smoking. So, you could say fitness age might be a better predictor of longevity than chronological age.

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST: VO2 MAX AND LIFESPAN?

Cardiovascular fitness has a shocking impact when it comes to your chances of dying,?your chances of dying from cardiovascular disease and to a lesser extent your chances of dying from cancer.?In fact,?research?shows that your chances of dying significantly lower with even a minimal improvement in your fitness level.?

For example:

• In a?study?published in the?Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers sought to answer whether a better-than-average fitness endurance capacity translated to a longer lifespan. They studied the?cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) level of over 5,000 men, who average 49 years old at the beginning of the assessment, with a single measurement of maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max)—a measure of how much oxygen your body can take in and use during exercise—and compared that number to mortality rates nearly five decades later. They discovered that participants in the highest five percent range of VO2 max lived about five years longer than those in the bottom five percent.
• In a?study, published in JAMA Oncology, individuals with low VO2 max scores were shown to be at greater risk of heart disease, and specific types of cancer. The study tracked almost 14,000 men over a period of 38 years to determine the correlation between aerobic fitness and serious health complications.

The good news is that – unlike your actual age – you can lower your fitness age with the right kinds of activity.?There are plenty of ways to work on?boosting your VO2 max, such as adding?HIIT workouts,?track sessions, and?tempo runs?to your routine.?If you are concerned about your VO2 max or how to improve it, see a healthcare professional or PT.?