Is VO2 Max Accurate on Smartwatches? LAB Tested!

[@kurtisparker]

This video should have so many more views! Two professionals discussing exercise science in such detail is so incredibly valuable. I have been strength training on/off for years now and I am trying to finally dial in my cardio and improve my running fitness and V02 max always seemed to be on of the those "hocus pocus" metrics that didn't have real meaning to me. Great stuff!

[@ShervinShares]

"all wearables are wrong, but some are helpful" - philosophy i live by

[@jeremy.miller]

Thanks for the inspiration for this video!

[@HamptonHelps]

@@jeremy.millermy watch says 54 but my marathon prediction is an hour slower than your marathon

[@roadkill_toronto]

There is a new v02 at home testing device you should review. Its only 4 THOUSAND dollars and has very little online about it. 💩

[@zackbelcher3896]

Similiar result for me. COROS says 50 and I tested in the lab at 58. I will give COROS credit for the threshold hr being perfect for me! Right at LT2 at 173 bpm.

[@stevez3332]

Very cool video, geez i thought it was a workout when i went on the treadmill for the stress test

[@stephanimiller3340]

Freakin loved watching this! Such amazing information. Nice work kiddo 💯🔥💪🏻

[@Magnulus76]

I did a cycle ergometer submaximal VO2Max test, and the results were nearly identical to my Garmin. But there's a big difference between a submaximal VO2 test, which is just an estimate, and actually measuring the volume of oxygen you are breathing in and out.

[@JackTaylor246]

incredibly helpful im a xc and track athlete and was really interested on how accurate my VO2max was on my garmin watch it being 63, thanks so much!

[@Irishirich]

In all the other videos I've seen by creators who compare their watch calculated V0² max score against their lab test, this is by far the biggest variance I've seen. Most of the other videos usually have the scores within 1 or 2 and the predicted watch is very close to the actual lab number. That leads me to think that the watch might not be getting accurate HR data or it's not taking into account heat, elevation factors which could impact HR on runs. That, or Coros' algorithm is just plain terrible and much worse than Garmin's.

[@kylemiller5671]

Personally, he looks like a larger than average runner, and the guy was explaining that the muscle he had was the reason the score was so high. Most Olympic marathoners hover around the high 50s low 60s because it's more important to be light and efficient over distance than to be able to uptake more oxygen, once your body is fatigued it won't deliver oxygen well and you'll be carrying the additional load of muscle weight.

[@TolunayOrkun]

@@kylemiller5671 VO2Max is more relevant for short and middle-distance racing. For endurance races like HM and Marathon it gets increasingly less relevant. LTHR is a more important parameter for endurance racing and for Ultra distances aerobic threshold (the boundary between zone 2 and zone 3) becomes more important.

[@orbifold4387]

69 is great. Based on your 5k PR, and some of the tables/apps found online, your VO2max should be around 66. The Cooper test (12 min run test) should be a good approximation to VO2max.

[@Not_So_Common_Sense]

Excellent result! Curious if your Coros watch re-adjust your VO2max estimate higher after the lab test (being a max effort and all-so more accurate data for the algorithm near "redline").

[@Ozzy1984_]

69 is insane. My VO2 max, also on a coros pace 2 watch, is also 57. I wonder what mine would be in the lab. I'll never know, but your half marathon time is quicker than mine, so my VO2 max might be quite accurate.

[@marathoner44]

Great content Jeremy. Thank you for helping the running community. What is your max heart rate? Thanks again.

[@AdhesionExotics]

Thanks for the video! I was wondering how different your zone 2 range is between your coros and your vo2 max test? Are they both similar (135 ‐153 bpm)? Thanks again, and Happy New Year!

[@jeremy.miller]

My COROS says my zone 2 is 142-159. As opposed to the lab test that says 135-153

[@nobodydobon]

I would love to know my actual vo2max! But I dont wanna turture myself, so I guess I‘ll just stick with the number of my watch😆

[@Demiduivenvoorden]

damn that incline looked challenging !!!

[@xyzct]

May I suggest doing a very short follow-up after you've checked your VO2max with the Coros a number of times, and then take the average (and to be be sure you check right when you wake up before even getting out of bed, and after 1 and preferably 2 rest days). My Polar H10 has about a 10 point swing that is highly influenced by how hard I worked out the day before, being _lower_ the morning after hard workouts!

[@jeremy.miller]

My COROS has been between 57-60 for a while, regardless of the workouts I do. It hit a peak of 60 earlier this year, despite me being more fit more recently.

[@xyzct]

@@jeremy.miller, excellent, thank you for clarifying! Btw, that must have felt amazing to get such a high result on your actual test!!

[@drewbdarby]

That's a NICE number right there

[@arnovereecken2261]

Vo2 max is also calculated by weight, and i feel like a lot of people that have a wrong estimate forget to update their weight after they first set up the watch

[@francesc5313]

Watches use mainly pace and heart rate. Cooper test is good Vo2max predictor and only factor is how fast you can run for 12 minutes. Lab machines like this one measure used oxygen and for Vo2max calculation it need weight.

[@thedavidgzz]

you should do the fitness test from coros, to see if it adjusts

[@andrewthompson9206]

Nice work! I was the opposite unfortunately, lol. My garmin says 57 and I came out at 41.3 on my test about a month ago. It felt extremely hard to breathe with the face mask but maybe I'm just a little B 😂

[@CiaoMykola]

69 is pretty decent. Why don't you try a few different sport watches next time? Would be interesting to see COROS VS GARMIN

[@peterubishfitness]

Holy smokes, that was a much bigger difference than I would have thought! This definitely makes me want to go give this a shot at some point coming up here. I think 69 makes a lot more sense for you though given your marathon time!

[@jeremy.miller]

Highly recommend it for anyone trying to hone in on race paces and training zones! Lots of useful data from this test

[@joe1071]

Yeah, wish he did multiple watches. Apple, Garmin, Coros. I’ve seen other tests like this where the Garmin seems to come within a couple points of actual VO2 max. Not sure about Apple accuracy

[@DailyInspire112]

How do you calculate ur zone 2 heart rate?

[@destinythomas4007]

I want to know how your BMR compares to the estimate on your Coros.

[@jamesmungall6669]

I wouldn’t expect the coros to be much good with anything to do with heart rate. You might do better with garmin but I find it hard to trust anything based on optical measurements of heart rate

[@jeffcarrol4263]

Can you manually update your VO2 data in your watch to match the real metrics?

[@TheIncidentTracker]

Didnt the running channel make a video on this about a year ago?

[@Joel-er6ki]

How many minutes did you last on the test?

[@Bulgarian89]

Chats gotta be in the best shape of their lives. 69 v02 max is absolutely insane. That’s damn near elite cyclist numbers!!💪

[@tritondriver1]

My Garmin Enduro was scary close and that was without strap

[@rohinkanwal2355]

My Apple Watch says I’m at 52 but i tested in lab 68.7 ml/kg/min so there’s a big discrepancy

[@mikekirby8196]

The confusing thing to me is that all the charts say that >50 at any age is considered “superior” and in the top percentile, yet most comments here where ppl posted their number are in the 50’s and 60’s. I guess it could make sense that many superior athletes watch your channel.

[@Mashle_0]

My Coros watch says my vo2max is 71 so i wonder if it might be higher

[@georgistefanov8919]

A running channel did the same test and their Garmin watch was just off by 2 (dont remember if it was below or above the lab tested VO2). So buy Garmin 🙃

[@UltraKoryy]

69 nice! Other takeaways - get jacked, watches still suck. :) I gotta find a local place next! Thanks Jeremy for the video. Cheers

[@Mk4ul]

Your NB shoe store is no longer active it says

[@charlenegriess8070]

Can your watch adjust to these results then?

[@jeremy.miller]

Not that I know of!

[@TolunayOrkun]

@@jeremy.miller You might not be able to adjust VO2Max of the watch but at least you should be able to setup your zones manually. I don't know Coros but Garmin allows that. That should help future data collection and performance data updates.

[@BIAxMalarkey]

Weird, saw a video of a man and a woman on the running channel do this against the garmin watch and it was a lot closer. Was only a couple off.

[@patchyouup]

55 on Apple Watch 66.2 in the lab Watches are just limited by nature

[@riveralogy7677]

How much did you pay for these tests?

[@jeremy.miller]

This place is offering VO2 Max tests for $100. However, I didn’t pay because I created a bunch of content around the test

[@afrh9042]

That's kinda cheap

[@martincarstensen8527]

WOW how can such a fancy watch be that much off

[@GrouEEf]

69 😅. Wow. My watch told me 67, it came out a 63. Seems Garmin is a bit closer.

[@marcelomar9728]

Meu VO2max pelo relógio Polar deu 66, em teste de laboratório acredito que seja menor!

[@chiccorunning]

Gassss

[@cherico707]

Bro but you’re wearing carbon plated shoes. I’m sure that was a big factor is the test results. This is gonna sound painful but how about doing this test in minimalist, zero drop shoes or even common daily trainers?

[@samfortune589]

To be honest I believe this video to be completely unscientific, and fundamentally pointless, unless he re-performs this test in traditional roman garb, i.e. a woven toga and a pair of peasant sown goat skin sandals.

[@arnovereecken2261]

should not matter. Yes carbon plated shoes make you faster but this test is not about speed, its about effort and oxygen data at that effort

[@hritikrajsinghh]

Letss gooo

[@dr.mohamedaitnouh4501]

this is too much of a difference strange

[@manniezubia]

Why Jeremy look buff as hell on that treadmill. 🫡

[@Not_So_Common_Sense]

Excellent result! Curious if your Coros watch re-adjust your VO2max estimate higher after the lab test (being a max effort and all-so more accurate data for the algorithm near "redline").

[@joeyr4869]

I would have needed to be on an outside run as the watch uses velocity in its equation