Wondering what your maximum oxygen uptake is? You neither need to see a specialist nor pay dearly to find out. Here we show you how you can test maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) with your mobile phone.
What is VO2max?
Maximum oxygen uptake is the most important goal we have for physical health today. It is a measure of how much oxygen the body is able to absorb and utilize within one minute. VO2max is mainly determined by the pumping capacity of the heart. The number you get when you test VO2max is a measure of how good your endurance and work capacity are.
If you often feel tired, increased work capacity will give you more energy to cope with everyday life. The number is also crucial for your health because a higher maximum oxygen intake means a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and lifestyle diseases.
Simple test with the mobile
To find your VO2max you must be active. The first thing you need to do is download the Myworkout GO app and create a user. You then complete one of the training activities on the front page. After you have pressed "start", the rest goes automatically by a voice telling you how long you should train and how intensively.
The training lasts 37 minutes and you can read more about how the training session is carried out here. By using the app when exercising outdoors in the form of walking or running, the app will track your activity using GPS. If you use other forms of exercise, such as a treadmill, ergometer bike or rowing machine, you must enter the load manually in the app after the session has been completed.
Low margin of error
By tracking the activity, we are able to measure both your maximum oxygen uptake and your biological age in an objective way with very high precision. The app has a margin of error of only 7 percent. Such a low margin of error for VO2max and biological age qualifies the app to be used for medical purposes and research.
In comparison, alternative calculations of maximum oxygen uptake that are available today will have a margin of error of 15-20%.