VO2max

VO2max is the maximum rate of oxygen consumption during intense exercise, typically expressed in mL/kg/min. Per the Fick principle, it reflects oxygen delivery (cardiac output, hemoglobin) multiplied by muscle extraction at the mitochondria. VO2max is among the strongest predictors of all-cause mortality: higher VO2max is robustly associated with lower long-term risk across cohort studies (e.g., Mandsager 2018), making it a central marker of cardiorespiratory fitness in longevity research.