About VO2 Max. Estimates
VO2 max. is the maximum volume of oxygen (in milliliters) you can consume per minute per kilogram of body
weight at your maximum performance. In simple terms, VO2 max. is an indication of athletic performance and
should increase as your level of fitness improves. The Forerunner device requires wrist-based heart rate or a
compatible chest heart rate monitor to display your VO2 max. estimate. The device has separate VO2 max.
estimates for running and cycling. You must run either outside with GPS or ride with a compatible power meter
at a moderate level of intensity for several minutes to get an accurate VO2 max. estimate.
On the device, your VO2 max. estimate appears as a number, description, and position on the color gauge. On
your Garmin Connect account, you can view additional details about your VO2 max. estimate, such as where it
ranks for your age and sex.
Purple
Superior
Blue
Excellent
Green
Good
Orange
Fair
Red
Poor
VO2 max. data is provided by Firstbeat Analytics. VO2 max. analysis is provided with permission from The
Cooper Institute
®
. For more information, see the appendix (
VO2 Max. Standard Ratings, page 138
), and go to
.
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