Affiliate & partner disclosure: This article contains affiliate links, and I may earn a commission if you buy through them at no extra cost to you. As an authorised LifeWave Brand Partner, I have a financial interest in promoting LifeWave products. Testimonial/editorial given by a LifeWave brand partner with financial interest in promoting the product. Full disclosure at the end.
A note before we start. Check with your GP before starting high-intensity training if you’re over 40 and new to exercise, or have a heart condition, chest pain, breathlessness or dizziness on exertion. This is general information, not medical advice. LifeWave products are not a treatment for any condition.
VO2 max — the most oxygen your body can use during hard exercise — is one of the strongest predictors of how long and how well you’ll live. The good news: it’s trainable at any age.
Key takeaways
- Higher cardiorespiratory fitness is strongly linked to lower mortality.
- VO2 max falls with age, but much of the decline is due to inactivity.
- A Zone 2 base plus some high-intensity intervals improves it most.
- Wearable estimates are good enough for tracking trends.
Why it matters
A 2018 study in JAMA Network Open (Mandsager and colleagues) of over 122,000 patients who had treadmill tests found that the least fit had roughly five times the risk of death of the fittest over the follow-up period. Large studies consistently show that each step up in fitness is associated with lower mortality.
What’s a good number?
Norms vary by source and test, but for men in their 40s, roughly 35–40 mL/kg/min is around average and the high 40s and above is good. Compare yourself with your own past results.
How to improve it
Zone 2 base. Several hours a week of conversational-pace cardio. See Zone 2.
Intervals. Once you have a base, add one session a week of hard intervals — for example 4 × 4 minutes at a hard effort with 3 minutes easy between. Interval training is consistently shown to improve VO2 max efficiently.
Strength training. It doesn’t raise VO2 max much directly, but it supports everything else. I lift every second day and walk 10,000+ steps.
Hydration. Dehydration reduces aerobic performance, so drink normally around training.
Measuring it
Lab testing is the gold standard. Wearables (Garmin, Apple Watch, WHOOP and others) give estimates good enough for tracking trends. The Cooper 12-minute run is a free field test.
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Join free →Where does LifeWave fit? Not here. Only training raises VO2 max. I don’t use LifeWave’s X2O. I wear an X39 daily as a separate general-wellness habit.
Frequently asked questions
Can I improve VO2 max after 40?
Yes. Older adults who start structured aerobic training commonly improve it meaningfully within months.
Is it really the best predictor of longevity?
It’s one of the strongest modifiable predictors in large studies, alongside not smoking and strength.
Does any LifeWave product treat a condition?
No. No such claim is made. LifeWave products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Related reading
Zone 2 Cardio · Zone 2 Training Guide · What Your VO2 Max Says
Full disclosure. This article is general information, not medical advice. LifeWave products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease; statements about them have not been evaluated by the FDA. As an authorised LifeWave Brand Partner I have a financial interest in promoting LifeWave products.
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