This Is The Largest Predictor Of Longevity We Don't Talk About

The most researched predictor of how long you will live.

Konoly

Jul 14, 2024 - 21:01

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This Is The Largest Predictor Of Longevity We Don't Talk About

mbg Founder & Co-CEO

By Jason Wachob

mbg Founder & Co-CEO

Jason Wachob is the Founder and Co-CEO of mindbodygreen and the author of Wellth.

Image by Andy Galpin x mbg creative

July 14, 2024

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The most researched predictor of how long you will live is something you might not expect, or perhaps even heard of before—I’m talking about VO2 max. So many people assume this metric is only important for athletes or major fitness stars, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Don’t worry, VO2 max expert, kinesiology professor, and co-director of the Center for Sports Performance at CSU Fullerton Andy Galpin, Ph.D. just delivered a grade-A crash course to all things VO2 max on the mindbodygreen podcast.

To come, the need-to-knows and why you should definitely care about VO2 max if you’re in pursuit of a long, well-lived life.

First, what is VO2 max?

VO2 max, or the volume of maximal oxygen consumption, measures how much oxygen your body can absorb and use during intense exercise. Typically, VO2 max is used to assess your aerobic fitness level, but as Galpin explains, it can also indicate longevity.

You can think of VO2 max in two parts: central and peripheral functions. The central function involves the pulmonary system, including the lungs and heart, and answers the question: How much oxygen can you bring in? The peripheral function relates to the muscles, determining how much of that oxygen gets into the blood and is distributed to your muscles.

Why VO2 max matters

“VO2 max would outpredict anything else you could possibly measure. Blood work, blood pressure, scans of any type, nothing will tell you more about your lifespan than VO2 max,” he says.

Moreover, your VO2 max influences how much energy everyday tasks require. For example, you don't want simple activities like picking up your kids or carrying groceries to put you at your VO2 max—if they do, you'll experience fatigue any time you have to expend energy. This could leave you with less energy for other activities later in the day, including exercise.

Research check

Studies have shown that a VO2 max is a strong predictor of lifespan 1. The higher your score, the longer you’re likely to live. The more you challenge yourself aerobically, the more likely you are to make a dramatic change in your VO2 max. However, research confirms that light activity can also increase your score, just not as much. VO2 max does decline with age. Around the time you turn 25, your VO2 max begins to decline by about 10% every 10 years 2. However, you can maintain and even improve your VO2 max with age through exercise.

How to measure VO2 max

Galpin explains that there’s more than one way to measure VO2 max, but like anything, some methods are more accurate (and more expensive) than others. Here are your options:

The gold standard: The best VO2 max assessment is at a laboratory or research facility where you use a metabolic cart. An instructor will put a mask on your face to collect gas samples to analyze VO2 max while you complete an exercise (such as a treadmill running test or walking test). However, this kind of testing can be pricey and difficult to access if you’re not near a research center.Great, not perfect: The next best option is to visit a local fitness center or longevity clinic, Galpin says. Here, you can evaluate VO2 max with a standardized exercise test similar to the research facility, though the equipment may not be quite as accurate.Good, but an estimate: Finally, some wearables can assess a general VO2 max range. For example, Oura recently launched a VO2 max test involving a 6-minute walking test. Galpin notes that these wearable assessments can give you an idea of where you’re at but aren’t as accurate as the other options.At-home friendly: Now if you can’t push your body to your VO2 max safely, you can opt for a submaximum test where you’re reaching about 80% to 85% of your maximum heart rate. There’s a long list of options, including a step-up test, a 1.5-mile walk/run test, and more. Check your heart rate before and after the test, and plug it into the corresponding VO2 max equation (you can find the equations for each at-home test here for reference).

Not sure how to pick? Galpin suggests considering how much you care about the details. If you're just starting out and want to know if you're in the ideal range, any option will do. But if you want to fine-tune your VO2 max, opt for the more detailed assessments.

Want the latest and greatest from leading well-being experts? Subscribe on Apple Podcasts.

The ideal range

Now that you know how to test it, let’s talk numbers: How do you assess your score? “Think about VO2 max as a scale of zero to 100,” Galpin says, with 100 being the highest VO2 max score ever recorded.

There are plenty of charts available to help you view your score in context (including those below), but in general, the average person has a VO2 max of about 40. A score below 15 is a flag for serious concern, he says.

Average VO2 max for men

Age20-2930-3940-4950-5960-6970-79

Superior	55.4	54	52	48.9	45.7	42.1
Excellent	51.1	48.3	46.4	43.4	39.5	36.7
Good	45.4	44	42.4	39.2	35.5	36.7
Fair	41.7	40.5	38.5	35.6	32.3	29.4
Poor

Average VO2 max for women

Age20-2930-3940-4950-5960-6970-79

Superior	49.6	47.4	45.3	41.1	37.8	36.7
Excellent	43.9	42.4	39.7	36.7	33	30.9
Good	39.5	37.8	36.3	33	30	28.1
Fair	36.1	34.4	33	30.1	27.5	25.9
Poor

Now if you’re more active than the average person in your age group, you’ll probably have a higher base VO2 max, and vice versa. These are averages, not necessarily optimal scores.

Can you improve it?

Your base VO2 max is not set in stone. While genetics play a role in your overall fitness and VO2 max does decline with age, your activity and lifestyle have the most significant impact on your ability to raise that number, Galpin says.

“You have real tremendous control over your VO2 max,” he explains.

Moreover, you don't have to run a marathon or exercise every single day to boost your VO2 max. “Nothing is better at improving VO2 max than challenging VO2 max,” he says.

This means you're working against your past fitness, not anyone else’s. If your only exercise is going for daily walks, you can challenge yourself by increasing intensity or duration. If you're a marathon runner, you'll increase your VO2 max by pushing yourself with speed or distance, or trying another form of cardio altogether.

Below, a list of possible ways to move your body to support an elevated VO2 max:

“It’s not the thing that matters,” he says about your choice of exercise, it’s that you challenge yourself aerobically.

Warning: Don’t go from 0 to 100

Before you go from weekly walks to daily sprints, remember that your best path to success with VO2 max improvement is to start slow and work your way up. After all, “The biggest mistake you can make in your fitness, VO2 max or otherwise, is getting hurt.”

The takeaway

VO2 max is an often overlooked measure of longevity but one of the best predictors you can find. You can test your VO2 max at a local fitness facility, research center, or through some wearable health trackers.

The strongest influence on your VO2 max is your fitness and activity level, so get moving–be it walking, cycling, swimming, and so on.

For more VO2 max tips and a deeper dive into longevity science, tune into the latest episode—listen to Apple podcasts or watch YouTube videos.