The kid that won the Junior World TT, Oskar Svendsen, a couple days ago, supposedly has a VO2 max of 97.5. I’ve never heard of a number anywhere close to that high before. And he did it on a bicycle no less. VO2 max of cyclists tend to be lower than some other sports, cross country skiing for example, because they don’t use as many muscles, thus less oxygen uptake. Here is a link to a article from ProCycling Norway. If the machine was calibrated correctly, and the number was correct, the boy should have a good chance of being a very, very good cyclist.
If you’re not familiar with VO2 max. it is how much oxygen uptake that a person can consume. It is measured in milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body weigh. Most Tour de France winners are in the high 80’s. Here is a list of normal VO2 numbers.
VO2 Max of an average male 20-29 years of age is: 38-43.
VO2 Max of an average male on college track team is: 48-53.
VO2 Max of endurance cyclists or runners: >75 ml/kg/min.
VO2 Max of female volleyball or male baseball players: 40-50 ml/kg/min.
Highest VO2 Max ever recorded for a man: 94 (Nordic skier)
Highest VO2 Max for a women: 77 (Also Nordic skier)
Oskar proudly wearing his new World Championship jersey. He won even though he was sick earlier in the week. Guess all that extra oxygen helped him recuperate.
He looks older than 18 to me. I always wondered about non-school sports like cycling and birth certificate doctoring.
But anyways, the machine they used to measure V02 must have been off. The “analyzer” or whatever they call it must have been set wrong, like not having the zero offset on your PM set correctly due to a temperature change.
Now if you took Alberto Contador’s or Chris Froomes V02 max they might get to 98 during a big race while err…em…..with a bit of extra help.
“Oskar beat Daehlie record”. Some kind of Scandinavian fetish with VO2max? Anyhow, I take it with a grain of salt. These numbers come from these guys’ doctors or other basically friendly sources. A high reported value is essentially unverifiable. Yet, it serves to boost the athlete’s aura of being innately superior. There is no incentive to take a second look at the equipment or anything like that.
This is not to say that the kid isn’t already a great cyclist — look what he’s already won.
The wikipedia article on VO2max mentions sled dogs at a whopping 240 ml/kg/min. Wow.
On 2nd thought I guess it’s plausible. It’d be nice if he tested somewhere else to confirm it.
and a rise of almost 10 points in a year’s time?!?
All this skeptism for a junior, yes vo2max can increase 10 points in a year with training, especially at his age.
He must be a dog. Those are the VO2 max numbers you get from dogs. Maybe the Norwegians have been doing gene-splicing and have succeeded in making a Norwegian bikehound.
He must be a dog. Those are the VO2 max numbers you get from dogs. Maybe the Norwegians have been doing gene-splicing and have succeeded in making a Norwegian bikehound. Otherwise a calibration error.
Let me guess. He’s moving onto Riis’s outfit.
Wayne, yes I am skeptical. i hope i am wrong to be so but there certainly is a precedent for doping juniors. furthermore, a 10 pt increase is feasible jumping from 50-60, but c’mon upper 80’s to upper 90’s?!? 3 points higher than ever recorded? if you calculate the bottom end being in the 30s and the upper end in the low 90s your range is what, 60. expanding that 5% seems like one hell of a statistical outlier . just saying it sounds incredible.