How to Improve Your Cycling VO2 Max

What's My Cycling VO2 Max?

One of the most effective ways of measuring your fitness as a cyclist is your VO2 max. VO2 max is short for Volume of Oxygen Maximum, and it's a measurement of the maximal amount of oxygen that your body can consume.

You may have heard that VO2 max is a fixed number tied to your genes, but your genes are only one thing that determines your VO2 max. For example, even elements like altitude can affect your number.

Increasing your VO2 is partially dependent on the amount of oxygen you're providing to your lungs. The AIRWAAV Endurance Performance Mouthpiece is a comfortable, easy-to-wear mouthpiece that's designed to open your airway 25% wider than it typically would, positioning your tongue in a way that can reduce your breaths per minute by up to 20%.

Cycling VO2 Max-Increasing Techniques

Your cycling VO2 max level matters for two primary reasons: on the bike, it measures your ability to sustain power for long periods of time and, off the bike, decreases your recovery time.

Your VO2 max tells you how fit your cardiovascular system is. The better your number, the more likely you are to be able to take long pulls at the front of the pack without tiring. Your lungs are using the oxygen you give them in the most efficient way they can. Basically, it's aerobic fitness.

Anaerobic fitness is more powerful, but a lot less long-lived. If you're more of a town line sprint kind of person, your VO2 max is likely a little lower. But the good news is that since you're used to big efforts for short times, you're set up nicely for interval training.

Interval training workouts are tailored to your maximum heart rate and are one of the most well-known ways that you can build your VO2 max. AIRWAAV can help by opening your airway 25% wider, increasing the supply of oxygen to your lungs, allowing you to perform to the best of your abilities.

It's Recovery Day! Why Does My Cycling VO2 Max Still Matter?

A good VO2 max benefits you off the bike too. In addition to providing your body with more oxygen, the AIRWAAV Endurance Performance Mouthpiece reduces the amount of fatigue-inducing cortisol (a stress hormone that impedes muscle recovery) giving you the ability to recover faster after big training days.

Using the Endurance Performance Mouthpiece makes it easier on yourself with AIRWAAV's ability to reduce your cortisol levels by up to 50%. And not only does it raise your lactate threshold and reduce cortisol levels, but a good VO2 max also helps your system clear and process the already-reduced byproducts so you can get on with your training.

Up Your VO2 Max for Fitter, Happier Cycling

The AIRWAAV Endurance Performance Mouthpiece is a revolutionary athletic mouthpiece that can be molded to your exact bite, allowing you to breathe easily and comfortably — even when your intervals are uncomfortable. The customized bite plate absorbs the clenching that goes on when you're giving it all you've got, and the tongue bar guides your tongue forward and down to open up your airway, making your workouts as effective as they can be.

Remember, your VO2 max is a great way to measure your fitness, but it's not the end-all-be-all of your performance. Cyclists that are looking to improve should take a well-rounded approach to increasing their speed, endurance, and overall skills. Give yourself an advantage by wearing a comfortable, custom AIRWAAV Endurance Performance Mouthpiece and get to work on increasing your cycling VO2 max naturally.