Maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) is an important index that indicates the athlete’s aerobic fitness, but its significance in predicting long-distance running performance varies.
For medium-distance aerobic athletes, particularly within 3000-5000 runners (running time up to 15 minutes), maximum oxygen consumption is crucial. However, for long-distance runners (10,000m and above), running efficiency, which measures how much oxygen the athlete needs to progress at a certain speed, becomes more critical. Sometimes, these two indicators can be at odds, where high running efficiency can compensate for a lower maximum oxygen consumption.
The provided image illustrates the results of a maximum oxygen consumption test for two athletes who reached the same maximum running speed. Athlete #2 (green) has a significantly higher maximum oxygen consumption, but average or slightly low running efficiency. In contrast, Athlete #1 (orange) has a lower maximum oxygen consumption but excellent running efficiency.
Since endurance performance depends on several factors, including maximal oxygen consumption and mechanical efficiency, it is essential to evaluate and train both to improve performance.
