By Marnie Kunz, NASM-certified trainer, USATF- RRCA-certified run coach

Learn how to increase Vo2 max and get tips and workouts to improve yours. Whether you’re a beginner building your endurance or an experienced runner who wants to lower your race times, increasing your Vo2 max will help. Endurance athletes of all kinds - from runners to cyclists - can benefit from boosting their Vo2 max. Improving your Vo2 max will help you run farther and faster for longer, making you a better runner.

What Is Vo2 Max?

Vo2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during exercise. Measuring Vo2 max monitors your oxygen consumption during exercise. This is one of the best ways to assess your endurance and fitness level. As you make progress in your training, your Vo2 max will increase. These tips and workouts will teach you how to increase Vo2 max to run faster for longer periods.

Vo2 max also applies to cycling on a stationary bike, spin bike, or road. Your Vo2 max number can be useful for other endurance sports too, such as swimming. Your maximal oxygen uptake during exercise can help you determine how well your endurance training is going and make adjustments as needed.

Related: What Is a Good Vo2 Max?

How Vo2 Max is Measured

There are a few different ways to measure your Vo2 max. The most accurate method is to visit a doctor, physical therapist, or laboratory with Vo2 max equipment. They will have you do a running test on a treadmill with an oxygen mask that measures your oxygen intake.

Another way to measure Vo2 max is with a smart fitness watch or tracker. Many Garmin watches can give you a Vo2 max reading. If you have a Garmin, you can log in to Garmin Connect, select Performance Stats, and then Vo2 Max to see your Vo2 max estimate.

Your Vo2 max measures the maximum amount of oxygen you can use during exercise. Vo2 max is usually measured in milliliters of oxygen consumed per kilogram of body weight per minute. A high Vo2 max number is the gold standard for endurance athletes. As we age, Vo2 max naturally declines, but high intensity interval training and other speed workouts can help delay the decline of Vo2 max and improve your circulatory system and heart muscle health.

Benefits of Increasing Vo2 Max

Increasing your Vo2 max can help you run faster and achieve better race times. Elite athletes have the highest Vo2 maxes, and improving yours has performance and health benefits. Here are some of the benefits of learning how to increase Vo2 max:

Improved fitness level
Better endurance
Increased ability to run faster for longer distances
Reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and cancer
Improved cardiac output and stroke volume
Improved sleep

Tips on How to Increase Vo2 Max

Try these training strategies if you’re wondering how to increase Vo2 max. Studies show that combining high-intensity training with steady-state effort runs is the best way to improve Vo2 max.

Before you begin a workout program, take a Vo2 max test to assess your peak oxygen uptake. After a few months of consistent training, you can do another Vo2 max test to measure your progress.

Do high-intensity workouts such as interval training.

Interval training involves intense effort followed by recovery periods. Add interval training to your program to improve your Vo2 max and get faster. See the interval workout below for a sample workout to boost your Vo2 max.

Do tempo runs.

Tempo runs are steady-effort runs that will increase your Vo2 max and help you run longer without fatigue. Tempo runs combine speed and endurance for an excellent running workout. Tempo runs improve your lactate threshold, which means you can run longer and more efficiently without getting tired.

See our post on how to do tempo runs or the sample tempo run below for specifics.

Add endurance runs to your workout program.

Incorporate steady, longer runs into your training program to increase your Vo2 max. One long run a week will improve your endurance and Vo2 max level.

Follow the easy-hard principle.

For maximum Vo2 max and fitness benefits, follow the easy-hard principle and take a recovery or rest day following each hard training day. “Hard” days are speed workouts such as interval, tempo, and long runs. “Easy” days are rest, slow recovery, and base run days (running at a relaxed pace).

Easy and rest days are crucial to reap the full benefits of your hard workouts and allow your body time to repair.

Workouts to Improve Your Vo2 Max

These workouts are some of the best ways to increase your Vo2 max. Do at least one of these workouts each week (you can do up to three) to improve your Vo2 max and get faster.

Intervals Workout

Warm up by jogging for 10 minutes at a relaxed pace. Do dynamic stretches.
Run for 800 meters (half a mile) at 80 percent effort level or your 5K race pace.
Recover by running slowly for 800 meters.
Repeat to do 4 to 6 fast intervals.
Cool down by running at a relaxed pace for 10 minutes. Stretch.

If you’re used to speed workouts and long-distance runs, you can start with 6 intervals for this workout. For beginners, start with 2 to 4 intervals and gradually increase the number of intervals over a period of weeks and months.

Tempo Run

Tempo runs improve your oxygen efficiency and Vo2 max. If you’re a beginner, do a shorter tempo run, and for advanced runners, you can add more miles to your tempo run.

Warm up by running for 10 minutes at a relaxed pace. Do dynamic stretches.
Run at a tempo pace for 20 to 50 minutes. Your tempo pace will be your 10K race pace or about 70 to 80 percent effort level. Tempo pace will feel “comfortably hard” but should be a pace you could maintain for up to an hour (it is not a sprint).
Cool down by running at a relaxed pace for 10 minutes. Stretch.

HIIT Workout - Tabata Running

HIIT workouts are a popular way to boost Vo2 max, burn calories, and elevate overall fitness levels. Here is a sample HIIT workout you can do for running, called a Tabata workout. The basic technique of Tabata training is to do 20 seconds of high-intensity exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeating for a total of 8 rounds and 4 minutes.

Although 4 minutes is not a lot for runners, we can adapt this Tabata running workout and make it longer, with an added warm-up and cool down and more rounds of Tabata running. The sprinting portions of the workout should be hard, at an 80 percent effort level for beginners and a 90 percent effort level for more advanced runners.

5 minutes of relaxed pace running to warm up. Do dynamic stretches.
20 seconds sprinting, at 8 out of 10 effort level.
10 seconds rest, slow jog.
20 seconds sprinting, at 8 out of 10 effort level.
10 seconds rest, slow jog.
Repeat for a total of 8 fast bursts and 4 minutes of Tabata time.
5 minutes slow run to cool down. Stretch.
Total Workout Time: 14 minutes

Related Post: How to Do Tabata Running

Endurance Run

Warm up by running at a slow, relaxed pace for 10 minutes. Do dynamic stretches.
Run for 5 to 15 miles (depending on the race distance you’re training for and your fitness level) at a relaxed pace.
Stretch.

Do one endurance run a week to boost your Vo2 max. For more tips on building your endurance, check out How to Build Endurance Running.

Other Fitness Measures

Vo2 max is a valuable tool to assess your fitness level, but there are other ways to measure fitness. Measuring your resting heart rate is another way to assess your cardiovascular fitness level. Performance tests such as benchmark runs and races can also help you track your training progress and running speed.

In the fitness world, people often measure body fat as another way to assess fitness level and measure improvements. Keep in mind that weight measurements are just one assessment tool, however, and performance tests are also helpful and do not focus on appearances.

Run Faster and Farther

Do you want to increase your Vo2 max and become a better runner? Check out the Runstreet Training Center for customized training plans designed to help you run faster and farther.

Follow and tag @Runstreet on Instagram to share your training progress and get cheered on.

Marnie Kunz is a NASM-certified personal trainer and USATF- and RRCA-certified running coach based in Brooklyn, NY. Marnie likes helping people get and stay active to enjoy a better quality of life. When she’s not doing fitness things, Marnie enjoys exploring with her dog, a mischievous rescue Akita.

How to Increase Vo2 Max - Tips + Workouts from a Run Coach