What is VO₂ Max?

VO₂ Max, short for maximal oxygen consumption, refers to the greatest amount of oxygen your body can absorb and use during intense exercise. It’s measured in milliliters of oxygen consumed per kilogram of body weight per minute (ml/kg/min). VO₂ Max is widely considered the gold standard for assessing cardiovascular fitness and aerobic endurance. Essentially, the higher your VO₂ Max, the better your body supplies and uses oxygen for energy — a key factor in sports like running, cycling, and swimming.

Your lungs take in oxygen, which is then transported through your blood to your muscles. The muscles use this oxygen to generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy source that fuels muscle contractions. VO₂ Max, therefore, reflects the combined efficiency of your heart, lungs, and muscles during exertion.

A high VO₂ Max is a primary predictor of success in endurance sports. The greater your VO₂ Max the better your ability to produce ATP which in turn fuels your muscles more efficiently during exercise.  Here’s are a few reasons below why this matters:

• Better Athletic Performance: The more oxygen you can use, the further and faster you can go in aerobic activities.
• Personalized Training Plans: Knowing your VO₂ Max allows you to set precise intensity targets (like running intervals at a percentage of VO₂ Max), helping you train more efficiently and break through performance plateaus.
• Health & Longevity: A higher VO₂ Max doesn’t just boost performance — it’s strongly associated with lower cardiovascular disease risk and longer life span. Studies suggest improving VO₂ Max has bigger long-term health benefits than changing other single risk factors (such as smoking or blood pressure).

While genetics play a role in determining your ceiling, you can significantly improve VO₂ Max with smart training and lifestyle choices. Here’s how:

1. Interval Training

High-intensity interval training (HIIT)—alternating bursts of intense effort with periods of rest—is the most efficient way to boost VO₂ Max. For example, running intervals at 90–95% of your maximum heart rate, or alternating sprints and recovery jogs, stresses your system and forces adaptations.

2. Continuous Endurance Training

Regular aerobic workouts at lower intensities (steady-state runs or long rides) build your cardiovascular base and train your muscles to use oxygen more efficiently. Combining endurance with intervals leads to greater improvements, so many athletes use both in weekly routines.

3. Progression and Consistency

Gradually increase the duration and intensity of both continuous and interval workouts over time. Most notable gains come from sustained programs—often six workouts per week combining intervals and long runs, as seen in research studies.

4. Nutrition, Recovery, and Supplementation

Supporting your training with strong sleep hygiene, balanced nutrition, and adequate hydration enhances adaptation to training and overall aerobic capacity. Recovery is as important as training—muscles need rest to rebuild stronger.

Cordyceps appears to work through several mechanisms. It contains active compounds like cordycepin and adenosine, which help boost the body’s supply of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is the energy currency for cells and is vital for the uptake, transport, and utilization of oxygen by muscle tissue during intense activity. By increasing ATP production, cordyceps enhances energy availability and helps delay the onset of fatigue, meaning you can sustain higher intensities for longer periods.

Multiple trials with both cordyceps militaris and cordyceps sinensis found significant increases in VO₂ Max after several weeks of supplementation. For example, three weeks of daily cordyceps supplementation improved VO₂ Max by approximately 4.8ml/kg/min in some studies.

There are certain supplements that have been reported to energy production, endurance, recovery, and mental focus:

• Creatine Monohydrate: Aids energy metabolism, muscular endurance, and recovery. While creatine is more famous for short, intense efforts, it also supports aerobic training by improving cellular energy turnover.
• Ultra Electrolytes: Ensures optimal hydration and muscle function during high-intensity workouts. Electrolyte balance helps your heart and muscles work efficiently under stress, especially during interval training.
• Cordyceps Mushroom Blends: Emerging research suggests cordyceps may improve oxygen utilization and endurance, making them popular among athletes looking to push their aerobic limits.
• Sleep and Recovery Blends: Deep recovery is crucial for VO₂ Max improvements. Puresport offers blends targeting restful sleep and stress management, supporting your body’s adaptation process.

All products are formulated with clean, certified ingredients trusted by athletes in professional sports and endurance events.

VO₂ Max is a powerful measure of how well your body uses oxygen during exercise and is central to endurance performance, health, and longevity. Improve it through targeted interval and endurance training, smart recovery practices, and supportive nutrition and supplements. 

Puresport’s athlete-focused range of supplements, including creatine, electrolytes, and cordyceps, can be an excellent tool in your arsenal — helping you train harder, recover faster, and stay hydrated as you push for new levels of aerobic fitness.

Train smart, recover well, and consider using science-backed supplementation to help unlock your full aerobic potential.