VO2 max, maximal oxygen uptake, or maximal aerobic capacity are certainly a term familiar to all skiers and endurance sports enthusiasts. This ability is the most measured value of endurance athletes. However, what does it means, and which athletes have the highest values?

When discussing current competitive skiing, many people point out that the sport has become more performance-oriented, and the importance of maximum oxygen uptake has decreased due to the homogenization of the race course profiles. Also, the strong development of double poling, especially in long-distance skiing, has reduced the importance of absorbing lactic acid, increasing the ability to ski at the anaerobic threshold.

Despite the changes, skiing and other endurance sports, still rely on strong oxygen uptake and of course also tolerance of lactic acid and its rapid removal from the body.

Ski Classics athletes with the highest maximal aerobic capacity values ​​are usually the strongest in long-distance competitions as well. However, VO2 max is not everything in long-distance skiing. A skier does not need the highest possible VO2 max result if he has other abilities to compensate for it, such as skiing technique efficiency and strong muscular endurance.

Let’s briefly define that magical term. VO2 max, also known as maximal oxygen uptake capacity. It measures the maximum amount of oxygen a person can use during an intense exercise or competition. It is a standard measurement to determine an athlete’s aerobic endurance before or during exercise. It is one of several tests used to determine an athlete’s cardiovascular fitness (the ability of the heart and blood vessels to carry oxygen) and performance.

VO2 max is measured in milliliters of oxygen per minute per kilogram of body weight (ml/kg/min). It assumes that the more oxygen athletes consume during high-level exercise, the more adenosine triphosphate (ATP) energy the body produces in the cells. ATP is often referred to as the “molecular unit” of intracellular energy.

VO2 max should not be confused with the lactate threshold test, which refers to the threshold of intense exercise where lactate, or lactic acid, accumulates in the muscles faster than it can be removed. VO2 max test is typically performed in a sports performance laboratory. The intensity of the test is carefully calibrated and increased over time. A treadmill, which can also be used with poles, or a stationary bicycle can be used. For cross-country skiers, rollerskiing on a treadmill is now a common way to test oxygen uptake.

Among cross-country skiers, Norwegian Bjørn Dæhlie and Bente Skari have achieved the highest VO2 maximum numbers; 96 and 76 ml/kg/min. Some male Ski Classics skiers have been able to get their VO2 max close to 90, while female athletes exceed 70. For example, Petter Eliassen managed to get 88 ml/kg/min in the treadmill test during his career. Top World Cup skiers often have values ​​close to 90, but medalists with a little over 80 value have also been seen in today’s skiing.

The world’s highest number is 97.5 ml/kg/min, which the Norwegian cyclist Oskar Svendsen achieved at the age of 18. Finnish cross-country skiing legend Juha Mieto holds the unofficial record if oxygen uptake capacity is measured in liters per minute. He achieved a fantastic result: 7.4. For many top skiers, the figure falls below six liters per minute. During his skiing career, Mieto weighed 95-105 kg, which naturally lowered his ml/kg/min score to around 77-80.

For regular exercisers in their free time, the oxygen uptake values ​​are below 50 ml/kg/min, fitness competitors, depending on their age, already raise the numbers well above 50 and many even above 60, and the peaks of endurance sports are between 80-90. Many top players in football get up to 70 values, ice hockey players average 60-65, and F1 drivers around 65. Of course, individual exceptions can be found in different sports, and ability is also strongly innate.

In future articles, we will highlight different training methods to develop oxygen uptake capacity and overall performance level, for example, for long-distance skiing in the coming winter.