VO2 max
noun
: the maximum amount of oxygen the body can utilize during a specified period of usually intense exercise
Examples of VO2 max in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
More recently, older adults who practiced Japanese walking for five months showed improvements in resting blood pressure, lower-limb muscle strength and VO2 max, a key indicator of cardiovascular fitness and aerobic endurance, according to a 2025 study by a different group of scientists.
—
Melanie Radzicki McManus, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2025
Compared to its shorter-interval workouts, for example, the Norwegian 4x4 is especially effective at raising VO2 max and, in turn, at building endurance, experts previously told SELF.
—Marissa Gold, SELF, 9 Oct. 2025
VO2 max Testing your VO2 max is not exclusive to elite athletes.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 1 Oct. 2025
The program also increased maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max), which is the highest amount of oxygen a person can use while exercising.
—Kristin Canning, Health, 22 Sep. 2025
Central to the protocol’s anti-aging effects is its impact on VO2 max, the maximum amount of oxygen your body can utilize during exercise.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2025
That's why a high VO2 max is a good indicator of a high fitness level.
—Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 3 Sep. 2025
For example, a 2023 Swedish study of 177,000 men found that those with the highest fitness (as assessed with an exercise test to estimate VO2 max) were least likely to develop colon cancer over the subsequent decade.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside, 25 Aug. 2025
The tests for strength currently include VO2 max, lower-body power, and muscle mass; those for cognition include appraisals of executive function, processing speed, and memory.
—Tad Friend, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
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Melanie Radzicki McManus, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2025
Compared to its shorter-interval workouts, for example, the Norwegian 4x4 is especially effective at raising VO2 max and, in turn, at building endurance, experts previously told SELF.
—Marissa Gold, SELF, 9 Oct. 2025
VO2 max Testing your VO2 max is not exclusive to elite athletes.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 1 Oct. 2025
The program also increased maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max), which is the highest amount of oxygen a person can use while exercising.
—Kristin Canning, Health, 22 Sep. 2025
Central to the protocol’s anti-aging effects is its impact on VO2 max, the maximum amount of oxygen your body can utilize during exercise.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2025
That's why a high VO2 max is a good indicator of a high fitness level.
—Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 3 Sep. 2025
For example, a 2023 Swedish study of 177,000 men found that those with the highest fitness (as assessed with an exercise test to estimate VO2 max) were least likely to develop colon cancer over the subsequent decade.
—Alex Hutchinson, Outside, 25 Aug. 2025
The tests for strength currently include VO2 max, lower-body power, and muscle mass; those for cognition include appraisals of executive function, processing speed, and memory.
—Tad Friend, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“VO2 max.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/VO2%20max. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
VO2 max
noun
: the maximum amount of oxygen the body can use during a specified period of usually intense exercise that depends on body weight and the strength of the lungs
called also maximal oxygen consumption, maximal oxygen uptake, max VO2
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