Oxygen Consumption

Oxygen consumption (VO2, ml/kg/min, or % to maximal) describes how much oxygen is consumed by the body. It is considered the most accurate variable to evaluate the intensity of aerobic exercise. During moderate exercise VO2 is between 20 to 40 ml/kg/min.

VO2 derived from heart beat data during a high intensity interval training session of a national level cross-country skier.

The method provides several benefits for the evaluation of VO2 and exercise intensity:

• Tells whether the intensity of the training session was as planned.
• Allows accurate and non-invasive monitoring of the intensity of aerobic exercise in field conditions.
• Estimation is based on neural network modelling that also uses information on respiration rate and exercise phase (on- and offresponse, steady-state).
• Works also during low-intensity exercise, interval exercise and in occupational workload measurement.
• Firstbeat method provides up to 48% more accurate results than conventional heart rate based estimates of VO2; Studies have indicated that mean absolute error with traditional method is 3.7 ml/kg/min and with Firstbeat method 1.9 ml/kg/min. Read more about the accuracy of VO2 estimation method from VO2 white paper.

Measured and estimated VO2 during a maximal exercise test and the following recovery.

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