This post is sponsored by Timeline Nutrition.
In the quest for longevity, it’s not just about adding years to your life but adding life to your years. To do that, it’s essential to identify the biomarkers that track how well you age so you can monitor progress and choose interventions that give you the most bang for your buck.
Researchers and health experts are increasingly focusing on VO2 max as a crucial biomarker of longevity. This measurement, which gauges your body’s ability to utilize oxygen during exercise, is recognized as a powerful predictor of overall health and lifespan. What you measure and monitor, you can improve, and you can do it right from your own home!
Improving VO2 max is dependent on your mitochondrial health. Understanding this link allows you to work smarter, not harder, to optimize your VO2 max, boost your physical fitness, and fortify your body against the sands of time. Let’s dive into why VO2 max matters and how exercise, diet, and supplements can help improve it.
Understanding VO2 Max and Its Importance
VO2 max measures your aerobic capacity, the rate at which your muscles use oxygen during exercise. The higher your VO2 max, the more aerobically fit you are, and the better your body can perform and recover. Think of VO2 max as the size of your car engine: the larger it is, the more fuel you can utilize and the longer you can drive.
As you age, your VO2 max naturally declines—about 10% per decade after age 25.1 This decline is linked to decreased heart rate, reduced lean body mass, and a general decrease in physical activity. Research has shown that cardiorespiratory fitness is inversely associated with all-cause mortality, meaning as fitness decreases, the risk of dying from any cause increases.2
The Role of Mitochondria in VO2 Max
To truly understand VO2 max, you need to know how your mitochondria work. Mitochondria are often referred to as the powerhouses of your cells and are responsible for producing the energy needed for muscle activity during exercise. They process oxygen to generate ATP, which is the cell’s main source of energy. Healthy mitochondria are crucial for maintaining high VO2 max levels, as they ensure efficient energy production.
The most effective supplement I have found to support mitochondrial health and improve VO2 max is Mitopure.
The Mitopure-VO2 Max Connection
You may have heard me talk about Mitopure for its ability to optimize mitophagy, which is the cellular recycling process that happens to our mitochondria.3 Getting rid of old dysfunctional mitochondria to make way for newer, better-functioning mitochondria is key to my longevity plan.
Mitopure is a Urolithin A supplement that has been clinically validated to support mitochondrial health, improve muscle strength and endurance, and may also improve VO2 max.4
In a randomized controlled trial, middle-aged adults who took 1,000mg of Mitopure for four months showed a clinically meaningful 14% increase in their estimated VO2 max compared to their baseline.5
How to Improve Your VO2 Max
Improving your VO2 max is a multifaceted approach that involves exercise, diet, and supplementation.
Train Your Cardiovascular System.
Physical activity is foundational to improving your VO2 max and cardiovascular health.
- High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): HIIT involves short bursts of intense exercise followed by rest or low-intensity periods. Studies have shown that HIIT significantly improves VO2 max compared to moderate-intensity continuous training.6
- Endurance Training: Combine HIIT with longer endurance training sessions that keep you at a lower heart rate for extended periods. This type of training helps build stamina and overall cardiovascular health.7
Optimize Your Diet
Nutrition plays a significant role in improving VO2 max. Studies of athletes have shown that those with higher percentages of fat-free mass and lower body fat have higher VO2 max levels.8 Eating protein first (I recommend a minimum of 30+ grams per meal and 100+ grams per day) can help you build muscle and reduce body fat, improving your overall fitness level.
Measuring Your VO2 Max
Accurately measuring VO2 max can provide valuable insights into your cardiorespiratory fitness and overall health. Traditionally, this measurement was only accessible through specialized lab tests, but advancements in technology have made it easier to estimate VO2 max right at home.
Laboratory Testing for VO2 Max
In a lab setting, VO2 max is typically measured using a stationary bike or treadmill. You wear a mask over your face, which tracks your oxygen consumption and carbon-dioxide production while you work on the exercise equipment.
Lab tests provide the most accurate VO2-max measurements, but require specialized equipment and trained personnel, making them less accessible for everyday use.
Estimating VO2 Max at Home
Fortunately, wearable technology has made it possible to estimate VO2 max outside of the lab. Devices like smartwatches and fitness trackers use various health metrics to provide a convenient and reasonably accurate estimation of your VO2 max. While these devices are not as accurate as lab testing, they can provide valuable information about the direction your VO2 max is trending.
Wrapping Up
Your cardiorespiratory fitness, or VO2 max, is a key biomarker for predicting your longevity. The fitter you are, the better your health span. By focusing on exercise, diet, and mitochondrial health with supplements like Mitopure, you can optimize your VO2 max and extend your years.
Learn more about Mitopure from Timeline Nutrition here.
References
1. Hawkins, S.A., Wiswell, R.A. Rate and Mechanism of Maximal Oxygen Consumption Decline with Aging. Sports Med 33, 877–888 (2003). https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200333120-00002
2. Steell L, Ho FK, Sillars A, et alDose-response associations of cardiorespiratory fitness with all-cause mortality and incidence and mortality of cancer and cardiovascular and respiratory diseases: the UK Biobank cohort study. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2019;53:1371-1378. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/53/21/1371
3. Andreux, P.A., Blanco-Bose, W., Ryu, D. et al. The mitophagy activator urolithin A is safe and induces a molecular signature of improved mitochondrial and cellular health in humans. Nat Metab 1, 595–603 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-019-0073-4
4. Liu S, D’Amico D, Shankland E, et al. Effect of Urolithin A Supplementation on Muscle Endurance and Mitochondrial Health in Older Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(1):e2144279. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.44279
5. Singh A, D’Amico D, Andreux PA, Fouassier AM, Blanco-Bose W, Evans M, Aebischer P, Auwerx J, Rinsch C. Urolithin A improves muscle strength, exercise performance, and biomarkers of mitochondrial health in a randomized trial in middle-aged adults. Cell Rep Med. 2022 May 17;3(5):100633. doi: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100633. PMID: 35584623; PMCID: PMC9133463.
6. Helgerud, Jan; Høydal, Kjetill; Wang, Eivind; Karlsen, Trine; Berg, Pål R.; Bjerkaas, Marius; Simonsen, Thomas; Helgesen, Cecilies; Hjorth, Ninal; Bach, Ragnhild; Hoff, Jan. “Aerobic High-Intensity Intervals Improve VO2max More Than Moderate Training.” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 39(4): 665-671, April 2007. | DOI: 10.1249/mss.0b013e3180304570.
7. Milanović Z, Sporiš G, Weston M. Effectiveness of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIT) and Continuous Endurance Training for VO2max Improvements: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Controlled Trials. Sports Med. 2015 Oct;45(10):1469-81. doi: 10.1007/s40279-015-0365-0. PMID: 26243014.8. Goran, M., Fields, D., Hunter, G. et al. Total body fat does not influence maximal aerobic capacity. Int J Obes 24, 841–848 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801241
