VO2 Max

Available Forms

• The Norwegian 4x4 is the flagship protocol: 4 minutes at ~85-95% of max effort, then 4 minutes easy, repeated 4 times (Mike Joyner, on The Drive; Rhonda Patrick)
• Longer 3-5 min intervals or 1-min on / 1-min off also work (Martin Gibala, on FoundMyFitness)
• Cycling, running, rowing or stair climbing all count; cycling is gentler on sore joints

Dosage & Timing

Dosage

• Build the aerobic base with Zone 2 (~3-4 hrs/week), then add 1-2 VO2 max interval sessions per week on an 80/20 split: 80% easy, 20% hard
• Other routines: HIIT for 20-30 min twice weekly (George Papanicolaou, on The Doctor's Farmacy), or 90-150 min/week in Zone 5 (Bryan Johnson)

Timing

• 1-2 VO2 max sessions per week is enough; more is not better for most people
• Keep ~80% of cardio easy (Zone 2) and ~20% hard
• Older adults and beginners should build a base with a 'pre-training' period before hard intervals, to avoid joint and bone injury (Mike Joyner, on The Drive)

What the evidence says on form

Each form claim gets one verdict, worked out from every counted mention. One dot is one source: a researcher or a study.

1. 1
   Not enough evidence

   The Norwegian 4x4 interval protocol is an effective way to raise VO2 max.

   2 sources: 2 positive

   2 sources: 2 positive

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