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Inside VO2 Max

What the number measures — and what it doesn't

6 min

VO2 max has become one of the most talked-about numbers in fitness and longevity. It's a real and meaningful metric — but it gets treated as a complete health summary far more than it deserves.

Key Nuance
A lab-measured VO2 max and a consumer wearable estimate are not the same thing. And even a genuine measurement is still one piece of a larger picture. Small improvements matter more than chasing a perfect score.
HealthLit Take
VO2 max is a powerful number — but its real value is in what it reveals about fitness, not in turning fitness into a single score.
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