VO2 Max as a Vital Sign

In 2016 the American Heart Association called for Cardiorespiratory Fitness (CRF), generally measured using VO2max, to be included as a vital sign. They said:

“The underlying premise of this statement is that the addition of CRF for risk classification presents health professionals with unique opportunities to improve patient management and to encourage lifestyle-based strategies designed to reduce cardiovascular risk.”

In this episode we discuss the arguments made and evidence cited in that statement, as well the update published in 2024.

If you're the type to want follow up citations/further readings, here are a few that we found interesting (but you can find many more cited in the two statements linked above):

People over 60 can still improve their VO2 by just as much as young people, relative to their baseline.

Here's where you'll find the normative values from the Fitness Registry and the Importance of Exercise National Database (FRIEND) that we discussed.

And before you ask, we also briefly address the classic "strength vs cardio" debate. Here are some studies we used to support it:

Association of Resistance Exercise with Cardiovascular Disease Morbidity and Mortality (yes, we understand that CVD is probably not the right place to look for strength training benefits)

Optimum dosing of resistance training for health and longevity