How Accurate Is VO2 Max On Smartwatches?

How accurate is the V02 function on your smartwatch? Well, TRC has travelled to Roehampton University Lab to find out!

Watch Sarah and Andy as they push themselves through to exhaustion, as the speed gets ramped up high and higher.

↓↓ Do you use VO2 Max on your smartwatch? Are you going to use VO2 max in training more after watching this video? Let us know in the comments!! ↓↓

WHAT'S IN THIS VIDEO?
00:00 What is VO2 Max?
00:48 VO2 Max Test!
08:14 The Results!

MUSIC licensed by Artlist and Epidemic Sound

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[runningchannel]

Do you use VO2 Max on your smartwatch? Are you going to use VO2 max in training more after watching this video? Let us know in the comments!!

[marcusgrainger]

My watch's VO2 max estimate helped me to diagnose anemia - the VO2 max was steadily dropping month after month whilst I was training and not ill. Now it wasn't the only indicator that I was anemic, but it definitely helped assess the situation. Once on iron supplements the VO2 max came up by 6 points in 10 weeks. Watch 1, anemia 0.

[ringolong]

Nice video! - Garmin shows 52 and the lab result shows 49 for her (5.8% difference) and for him Garmin shows 62 and the lab result shows 60 (3.2% difference).

[silviui.]

Thank you for testing the accuracy of VO2 Max on Garmin! Any chance to repeat this for other brands also (Apple Watch, Fitbit, Polar, Whoop)?

[leonardmilcin]

Realistically, non-athletes will never do the test even once, forget about doing it regularly. The value of smartwatch estimates is that you can observe them over time and see how what you are doing affects your estimated performance. This not only helps you learn about what works and what doesn't but also serves as a great motivator.

[phil.]

Apple VO2 started at 26 mL/kg/min. After 4 months of lifting, fasting, light treadmill jogs and lots of outdoor walks, the VO2 improved to 29 ! My results are lower due to permanently small and anemic red blood cells caused by thalassemia and my weight. But the trend is positive (especially as I lose more weight)! :)

[conradburdekin]

I hope this comment reaches you guys. Having started running in March, and never having run more than 14k in one go, I have just completed my first ever half marathon. Around the 14k mark I really began to struggle. Then I imagined Anna, Rick and Sarah cheering me on. I could hear your voices in my head (I’ve watched a LOT of your videos in the last few months) encouraging me, and I can’t tell you how much it helped. So thank you - for being brilliant and unknowingly offering support to this 46 year old husband and dad 😊😊😊

[pippawilliams]

I'd love to see heart rate accuracy comparisons across a lot of different watches vs something more accurate, plus some tips on how tight you need your watch to be, to get an accurate reading. It would also be interesting to see how far out it can be if it's not fitted correctly, and in which direction!

[Growlizing]

If I remember correctly, most watches that estimate VO2 max are based on compiled tables of data recorded by others, attempting to take into account age, weight, heart rate, speed and distance.

[jtggardner]

It's so cool seeing Sarah's slow transformation over the course of these videos! I only discovered the channel a couple of years ago (during lockdown 🤣), but have watched quite a bit of the backlog. She looks so different compared to before! And her running is inspirational. Such a great presenter \0/

[hellomark]

My wife works at a university where they occasionally test professional hockey players' VO2 Max. Those guys will literally push themselves until they puke, partially as a competition with each other, but also to show how capable they still are professionally

[jasonree]

That was awesome. I am interested in doing one of those tests. Sarah will have to give an update through your marathon training on whether your VO2Max changes through the various trading blocks. Great job and fantastic expressions when you reach your limits!!

[jimcrants]

They talked about trying to improve your personal VO2 Max or keep it steady. It got me thinking: what goals do you set when your best numbers are behind you? Not just VO2 Max, but PBs, maximum distances, etc.

[iggalan]

If your VO2 Max seems low compared to others, don’t worry that much, it’s an estimated value based on probably wrong heart rate zones (but not exclusively). Getting the heart rates zones right is hard. Still it’s a useful metric to monitor your progress. Focus on a balanced training, that should slowly increase this number. For comparison my estimated VO2 Max is 51, I can run a 5 K in 21 minutes and a 10 Km in under 45 minutes; based on VO2 Max alone I shouldn’t be able to run this fast. I’m 49 years old.

Anyway it’s good to see that lab results do not differ than much from the estimated values your watches are giving you.

[SBanderaB]

so you going to tell us which watch you used? if you told it would have been a good and useful video

[-JonathanDeBruyne-]

About a month ago I started weight training again after almost a full year of not working out at all. I've done a few runs here and there as warm ups for my weight training and based on those my garmin fenix 6 reports a VO2Max of 52. Knowing this number is probably fairly accurate is highly motivating to keep integrating a run every now and then.

[themanabroad]

That was really interesting. I have taken my vo2 max on my garmin from the low 40’s up to 48 as of today. I am aiming to get into the 50’s. This was really interesting!

[learzetur]

These watches now days are incredible. My Fenix 6 helped identify a panic attack by sending me HR alerts and monitoring my stress levels in that moment. I was in Ecuador as well about 9, 000 ft and it helped me take it easy with altitude acclimatization and Spo2 readings

[vgnrnr]

I tend to ignore the vo2 max on my watch, it always drops when i do easy recovery runs and rises with harder fast runs. Watch suggests recovery run but then tells me I'm losing fitness when i do them 🤷 i do keep meaning to do a lab test though

[dusterinoman]

my forerunner 165 (2.5 months old) says my vo2max is 40-41 (back and fourth), and my lab test says it's 53. i've been runnning for 3 years, 2 marathons, 5 half marathons, couple of 10ks and 5ks park runs, i run 3-4x a week. my garmin vo2max is waaaay off.