Wild Health Podcast 500 | Steve Weatherholt | Raising Your VO2 Max for Longevity and Performance
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Dec 10, 2025 Steve Weatherholt, an experienced Wild Health coach, shares insights on VO2 max, which is crucial for longevity and performance. He explains how VO2 max reflects the body's oxygen efficiency and influences daily activities. The discussion covers heart, lung, and mitochondrial contributions to fitness. Steve emphasizes that VO2 max can be improved through practical training methods, including zone-based workouts and HIIT. He also highlights the role of consumer wearables in tracking progress and provides sample workouts to enhance aerobic capacity.
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VO2 Max Is Your Oxygen Engine
- VO2 max is the body's maximum rate of oxygen use during intense exercise and acts like the size of your engine.
- A higher VO2 max raises your ceiling for sustaining activity and likely improves lifespan and healthspan.
Small VO2 Gains, Big Mortality Drops
- Small increases in VO2 (1 MET ≈ 3.5 mL/kg/min) associate with large mortality reductions.
- VO2 max is highly trainable and represents a practical lever for reducing cardiovascular and all-cause mortality.
Use Wearables To Track Trends, Not Exact Values
- Formal VO2 max testing requires treadmill/bike equipment and trained staff, so it's not typically available at a PCP visit.
- Use wearable estimates to trend progress, but confirm with lab testing when precise measurement matters.