VO₂ Max: The Key to Longevity and How to Improve It

The VO₂ max metric, which measures the maximum amount of oxygen a person can process in one minute, was created by Archibald Hill. The VO₂ max metric is a complex, multi-level indicator that links lung capacity, cell efficiency in binding and transporting oxygen, capillary network branching, and mitochondrial efficiency in energy processes.

A study of 122,000 patients with an average age of 53 showed that those with a low VO₂ max had significantly lower survival rates over the next 10 years. Transitioning from the lower VO₂ max cohort to at least the middle cohort significantly increases survival chances, more so than recovering from type 2 diabetes.

Climbing stairs, which requires about 16 ml of oxygen per minute per kilogram of body weight, becomes increasingly difficult as VO₂ max decreases with age. A 70-year-old in the upper VO₂ max cohort spends only 45% of their aerobic endurance on climbing stairs, while a 70-year-old in the average cohort spends 60-80%. High VO₂ max values for men aged 20-29 are considered 52-57 (ml/min/kg), while low values are 32-38.