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The Journal of Experimental Biology 204, 3195-3199 (2001)
© 2001 The Company of Biologists Limited

Review

Human aerobic performance: too much ado about limits to VO2

S. L. Lindstedt1,* and K. E. Conley2

1 Physiology and Functional Morphology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5640, USA and
2 Departments of Radiology, Physiology and Biophysics, and Bioengineering, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, WA 98195-7115, USA

*e-mail: Stan.Lindstedt{at}nau.edu

Accepted July 2, 2001

Human endurance performance is often evaluated on the basis of the maximal rate of oxygen uptake during exercise (VO2max). Methods for overcoming limits to VO2max are touted as means for increasing athletic endurance performance. Here, we argue that the respiratory system is well designed for delivering O2 to meet O2 demands and that no single factor is rate-determining for O2 uptake. We show that VO2max can vary 5000-fold among mammals, while any limitation to O2 delivery by a single component of the respiratory system affects VO2max by 10% or less. Attempts to increase O2 delivery by enhancing one step in the respiratory system are shown to have little effect. Blood doping, hyperoxia and O2 supplementation of high-altitude natives all raise O2 availability substantially to the working muscles, but these treatments increase VO2max only minimally. Finally, we argue that O2 uptake is only one of a number of properties important to human aerobic performance.

Key words: oxygen delivery, oxygen transport cascade, VO2max, human, aerobic performance, endurance






© The Company of Biologists Ltd 2001