{"id":701879,"date":"2026-06-13T14:48:34","date_gmt":"2026-06-13T14:48:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/701879\/"},"modified":"2026-06-13T14:48:34","modified_gmt":"2026-06-13T14:48:34","slug":"vo%e2%82%82-max-training-effort-benefits-and-interval-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/701879\/","title":{"rendered":"VO\u2082 Max Training: Effort, Benefits, and Interval Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whatever your running goals, you should execute most of your miles at an easy effort<\/a>. But when it comes to workouts designed to challenge your VO\u2082 max<\/a>, if they don\u2019t feel pretty dang punishing, well, you\u2019re doing them wrong.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re not familiar with VO\u2082 max, it stands for the maximal volume of oxygen (O\u2082) that your body can use to work aerobically. \u201cAs we go harder and harder, we need to produce energy faster and faster, so we need more oxygen\u2014and you\u2019ll see this straight-line increase in our oxygen consumption,\u201d explains Trevor Connor, exercise physiologist, coach, and CEO of Fast Talk Labs<\/a> in Boulder, Colorado. \u201cAt a certain point, it levels off and we can\u2019t consume any more oxygen than we already are; that\u2019s called your VO\u2082 max.\u201d (To push yourself beyond that point, you have to produce energy anaerobically<\/a>, which isn\u2019t sustainable for very long.)<\/p>\n

Your VO\u2082 max is only one part of your overall fitness, but training to improve it so you\u2019re able to consume and use more oxygen can help you run faster with less effort<\/a>. \u201cIt means you have a larger aerobic ceiling,\u201d says Mike Thomson<\/a>, personal trainer and run coach at Life Time Overland Park<\/a> in Kansas. \u201cYou\u2019ll have better diameter of your capillaries and greater stroke volume per heartbeat. The higher your VO\u2082 max, the higher your threshold and the better your potential.\u201d<\/p>\n

To train this, you\u2019ll need workouts that tap into the right effort level. Here\u2019s more about why you should be doing VO\u2082 max workouts (plus which runners might want to skip them), and how hard to push yourself so you reap the biggest rewards.<\/p>\n

The Intensity to Hit for VO\u2082 Max Workouts\u2014and Why They\u2019re So Beneficial for Runners<\/p>\n

Generally speaking, you train your VO\u2082 max with interval workouts, and those intervals should reach heart rate<\/a> zone 5, or around 90 percent of your max.<\/p>\n

If you prefer to gauge intensity with rate of perceived exertion (RPE<\/a>), you\u2019ll want to aim for around an 8 out of 10 to start, with 10 being all-out effort, and expect that to feel more like 9 by the end of the interval, says Connor. That means you shouldn\u2019t be able to talk. The idea is that with these sessions, you\u2019re increasing the amount of time you\u2019re able to spend at your VO\u2082 max and increasing your oxygen consumption.<\/p>\n

\u201cThose intervals are great, but when you have somebody who\u2019s fairly well trained, you\u2019re not going to see much improvement in VO\u2082 max,\u201d says Connor. That\u2019s because the possible gains in VO\u2082 aren\u2019t infinite; you can boost yours only so much. \u201cThe truth of the matter is, most people max out their VO\u2082 max very early on when they take up training,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

However, that doesn\u2019t mean you should sideline VO\u2082 max workouts<\/a>. Even if you\u2019ve tapped your full potential for this metric, these sessions can still make you a stronger runner by spurring additional physiological adaptations, says Connor. For example, workouts at this high of an intensity are one way to promote an important protein in our cells called PGC-1 alpha. \u201cThat\u2019s responsible for a whole lot of our aerobic adaptations\u2014like increasing our mitochondrial density, increasing our ability to use fat for fuel, and increasing our ability to take up oxygen,\u201d he explains. All of these payoffs lead to better performance, especially for long-distance athletes.<\/p>\n

Even better: Research shows a link between a higher VO\u2082 max and a longer life<\/a>, as well as decreased cancer mortality risk<\/a>. So you\u2019re not only increasing your fitness level with these workouts, but also your overall health and longevity.<\/p>\n

How to Do VO\u2082 Max Intervals<\/p>\n

The repeats in a VO\u2082 max session can be broken up into longer intervals<\/a> or shorter bursts.<\/p>\n

Traditionally, researchers thought longer intervals (think: five minutes at 90 percent of your max with a 2.5- to 5-minute recovery between repeats) were best. \u201cBut ask anybody who has tried those intervals\u2014they are miserable,\u201d says Connor.<\/p>\n

So another popular way to achieve VO\u2082 max benefits, especially for those new to them, is with 30\/30 intervals: You run as hard as you can for 30 seconds, then jog slowly for 30 seconds. Repeat that five times (for one six-minute set), rest five to six minutes, then repeat the whole thing for three sets. An older but landmark study<\/a> found that these shorter bursts allowed runners to hold an effort close to their VO\u2082 max for more time than when using longer intervals.<\/p>\n

Try adding this workout to your schedule once or twice a week. Keep in mind that intervals at this high intensity are hard on your body and you don\u2019t want to continue them every week, indefinitely. Connor recommends doing them for only five or six weeks at a time, then pulling back to easier runs<\/a> for at least two weeks; the rest gives your body a break and a chance to make the VO\u2082 gains you\u2019ve been working toward. After that recovery window, you can resume VO\u2082 max sessions or focus on other speedwork.<\/p>\n

Because these sessions are tough and high impact on the body, runners should be cautious when jumping into them, advises Thomson. \u201cPeople with heart issues or a cortisol issue should seek professional support so they don\u2019t do too much,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd all runners need to build their capacity so their tendons and tissues can tolerate the intensity.\u201d<\/p>\n

That means slowly introducing interval training<\/a>, like starting with just one set of those 30\/30 intervals and building up to three. You could also try them on an AssaultBike or rower first to lessen the impact before doing the full running VO\u2082 max workout.<\/p>\n

How to Know You\u2019re Pushing Yourself Hard Enough<\/p>\n

Bottom line: VO\u2082 max sessions should feel very difficult. It\u2019s not really possible to go too hard unless you wind up not being able to finish it. \u201cIf you go out and can\u2019t maintain the same effort for the duration of all the intervals, you\u2019ve gone too hard,\u201d says Thomson.<\/p>\n

Finding the sweet spot for the intensity that\u2019s tough enough but not so grueling that you can\u2019t eke out the last few intervals takes some practice. \u201cThe first time I give these to an athlete, I warn them, \u2018You are not going to execute these well the first time,\u2019\u201d says Connor. \u201cThat\u2019s okay. This is just you figuring it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like so many aspects of training, it takes some trial and error to do it right\u2014but once you do, it\u2019s well worth your time.<\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Laurel Leicht is a writer and editor in Brooklyn. She’s covered health, fitness, and travel for outlets including Well+Good, Glamour, and O, The Oprah Magazine.<\/p>\n