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Ive been toying with the idea of buying myself a fitness band thing, titbit etc & I've been looking at the Microsoft Band 2 as I have a windows phone & it does more than just measure activity.
The Band 2 allegedly has a VO2 max. measuring function, how would that actually work from optical pulse rate sensors on your wrist? MS claim its pretty accurate.
From the Microsoft Health blog [url= http://blog.microsofthealth.com/2015/12/04/youve-asked-how-does-microsoft-band-estimate-my-vo2-max/ ]Band 2 VO2 Max [/url]
Zo, not that accurate then!
It's not a VO2 max measurement function, it's a pin the tail on the donkey guesstimate toy.
If you really want to know your VO2 Max, your local Uni will probably measure you for £50 using the proper kit and a treadmill etc...
Reminded me of these ones I read about a while back, look a bit more interesting...
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2014/09/bloodless-lactate-threshold.html
I'd actually have real trouble with that as I can't physically run - I have CMT and running is horribly painful to my feet, knees and hips so I stop way before I run out of puff.
Do they do it on a gym bike perchance?
Doubt it, as it's a statistical estimate and their data only includes runners. You can get an estimate from a Concept2 rower using a formula on their website, but as others have said a pinch of salt is needed.
Fenix 3: 58 (based off running, but I'm a slow runner)
Concept2: 64(!)
Actual: 60 (when I was at uni, admittedly)
I'm not convinced it means anything tbh, as anyone who's run/ridden/rowed with me will know I'm not exactly competition material.
muddydwarf - Member
I'd actually have real trouble with that as I can't physically run - I have CMT and running is horribly painful to my feet, knees and hips so I stop way before I run out of puff.
Do they do it on a gym bike perchance?
Our local Uni do this sort of stuff in their Sports Science Diet studies, about twice a year you get to do a bike based test twice and eat random food. Never really been keep
Just done mine laid in bed using an app, it says 59.7 which it guesses using my resting heart rate and size weight etc.
Doubt its very accurate, If you want a measure of your fitness you could circumvent the vo2 max and go straight to functional threshold power, its a measure of the wattage you can maintain for an hour usually taken as 95% of what you can maintain for 20 minutes.
You can get this figure with software linked to turbo trainers or direct from power meters.
What footflaps said. I did one 25 yrs ago when I was in good shape. Showed a very high Vo2 max very close to John Treacys (world XC champ and Olympic Marathon Silver) he was great and I was s***. Just shows that there are a large number of complex factors involved. I remember the tests were a bit intense and unpleasant (run to exhaustion)
I'm taking part in a medical survey and had mine measured (along with lots of other things) 8 years ago. I was re-tested just before Christmas so I'm looking forward to seeing how it changes as I age.
with so many variables in fitness measures as measures of performance, all the numbers are of limited use when compared. Its like the fat measure scales. Don't see it as an accurate figure, as it is only accurate to you and those scales, but it shows a trend if you drop/go up. VO2 Max, means nothing really, unless you want to see how you compare from before and after a training regime, in which case, so long as you use the same measuring technique, the number doesn't matter.
VO2 Max, means nothing really, unless you want to see how you compare from before and after a training regime,
It's a good predictor of potential, given that it's largely defined by your genes, but it's probably not that useful for much else. As has been said above, a decent power profile is more useful for training.
A good explanation here...
http://home.trainingpeaks.com/blog/article/finding-your-maximum-using-vo2-max-in-training
Oh and when Froome recently did the testing that resulted in the release of data I think he claimed he'd never done a VO2max test before. Some sceptical about that claim given the scientific nature of BC training but I can believe it given the usefulness of the data.