Have you ever wondered what sets endurance athletes apart from the rest? Well, the answer partially lies in a crucial metric known as VO2 max.

With the rise of wearable technology, athletes are more in tune with their bodies than ever, tracking their progress and seeking improvements to key data points, including VO2 max.

In simple terms, VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen an athlete can utilize during intense exercise.

Think of it as your body's engine capacity: a larger capacity means more fuel (oxygen) passes through the cylinders (your lungs), making them more efficient and enabling you to sustain higher performance levels in endurance sports. 

But there’s more to it than that…

 

The Significance of VO2 Max

VO2 max is more than just a statistic—it’s a reflection of your cardiovascular system's proficiency. A superior VO2 max indicates enhanced oxygen delivery and utilization in your muscles.

While your VO2 max is influenced by genetics and biological factors like age, you can improve your cardiovascular efficiency and endurance capabilities with strategic sports nutrition and training regimens. 

 

Nutritional Strategies for Improving VO2 Max

Supplementation is an important part of any athlete’s sports nutrition regimen for improving their performance and overall health. We recommend supplements like beet juice, HMB and beta-alanine for every endurance athlete to improve their VO2 max.

Beet juice is rich in dietary nitrates that promote nitric oxide production, which dilates blood vessels and improves oxygen flow to your muscles. This raises your VO2 max, leading to greater endurance. Our favourite beet juice supplement is Beet-It Sport, which studies have shown reduces the oxygen cost of exercise by 5% and delays the onset of fatigue by 5-16%. 

HMB (β-Hydroxy β-Methylbutyrate) improves muscle recovery and reduces protein breakdown, supporting your body's ability to sustain more rigorous and frequent training. As you train harder (and recover faster) while using HMB, your overall training quality will improve, leading to significant improvements to your VO2 max and endurance. However, it’s important to choose a supplement like HMB Sport that provides a complete 3g dose of HMB, as 3g of HMB daily is shown to be the optimal amount.

Like HMB, beta-alanine indirectly contributes to greater VO2 max and endurance by supporting your training. It buffers lactic acid buildup, enhancing your muscle endurance under high-intensity conditions and allowing for more intense training that ultimately contributes to VO2 max development. We suggest going for a supplement with a larger daily dose of beta-alanine, like our Beta Alanine, which provides the 6g per day recommended by the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

For more information about improving your athletic performance with supplementation, check out our supplement user guides—we’re sure you’ll find them useful.

 

Training Strategies for Improving VO2 Max

It's crucial to note that supplementation alone is not the best way to improve your VO2 max and endurance—you also need to implement targeted training strategies to complement supplement use:

• High-intensity interval training (HIIT): This type of training involves intense, oxygen-demanding exercises that provoke cardiovascular adaptations conducive to improving your VO2 max.

• Volume and consistency: Gradually and consistently increasing the volume of aerobic training raises your body's adaptation threshold, leading to improvements in oxygen transport and utilization.

• Polarized training: Mixing short, high-intensity sessions with low-intensity volume training stimulates both your anaerobic and aerobic systems, promoting greater cardiovascular efficiency and VO2 max development.

• Altitude Training: While not accessible to everyone, training at higher elevations stimulates adaptations in your red blood cell count and oxygen delivery efficiency, potentially improving VO2 max.

And while it might not make sense to incorporate all of these strategies into your training regimen, it’s important to listen to your body and identify areas for improvement. 

Over time, with the right strategies in place that complement your training style, you will see improvements in your endurance performance. You just need to stick with it. 

 

How Long Will It Take to Improve Your VO2 Max?

Strategically using supplements like beet juice, HMB, and beta-alanine alongside comprehensive training methods that strengthen your cardiovascular system will take weeks, or months in some cases, to produce noticeable results. 

That’s why we always tell our athletes consistency is key. 

But by incorporating some or all of the sports nutrition and training strategies discussed above, and using technology to track and monitor your progress, rest assured that you’re laying a solid foundation for achieving optimal performance in endurance sports.

 

— That’s all for now, train hard!