31-Year-Old Triathlete Sets Jaw-Dropping VO2 Max Record
As more folks begin to prioritize daily habits that support longevity, tracking certain biometrics, like VO2 max, has become the norm. If you've been actively working to increase your VO2 max, you know just how challenging it can be to get that number to budge. But Kristian Blummenfelt, Norwegian triathlete and Olympic champion, took his VO2 max to a new level of human performance: a whopping 101.1.
VO2 max measures the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during intense exercise. The “V” stands for volume, and “O2” stands for oxygen. It’s considered the gold standard for cardiovascular fitness because it reflects how efficiently your heart, lungs, and muscles deliver and utilize oxygen. A high VO2 max is also strongly linked to longevity, correlating with better overall health and a longer life.
Related: Daily 'Exercise Snacks' Might Be All You Need to Boost VO2 Max, Study Finds
Younger athletes often set the highest scores, like 18-year-old cyclist Oskar Svendsen, who has long held the VO2 max world record. But Blummenfelt, 31, recently shared an Instagram post that shocked followers. In one clip, he’s standing on a treadmill in a lab with his face covered by a mask and eyes on a monitor displaying his performance. The display shows his VO2 max at 101.1.
To put that into perspective, a VO2 max of 70 to 85 is already considered elite for endurance athletes. For non-athlete men in their 30s, a score of 45 is considered excellent. Blummenfelt’s 101.1 overtakes Svendsen’s 97.5, potentially setting a new benchmark.
Though it appears to be the highest VO2 max on record, some experts quickly expressed skepticism of Blummenfelt's numbers.
"Can someone please go to Norway and teach the physiologists how to calibrate a metabolic cart?" Jeroen Swart, UAE Emirates-XRG performance coordinator, shared on X. "Seems we get dodgy VO2 data every second year with wildly inaccurate values and sensational stories about incredible endurance athletes. Only ever happens in Norway. Bizarre."
Others praised him.
"Kristian Blummenfelt’s result isn’t just an extreme fitness stat. It’s a glimpse into how big the human aerobic engine can become when physiology, training structure, and recovery align," Davey Schreurs, VP of Product at FeedbackFruits, wrote on X.
Either way, VO2 max is a number worth paying attention to. If you want to increase your VO2 max, work in activities that challenge your cardiovascular system, like interval training, long runs, and hill sprints.