PT: Plus, fiber soda and the cancer-related reason for marinating meat.
VO₂ max—the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during exercise—is the gold standard for cardiorespiratory fitness, and one of the strongest predictors of how long (and well) you’ll live.
Boosting your VO₂ max by just 3.5 mL/kg/min slashes your risk of premature death by 11–17% (British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2024).
Because so many of you ask how to measure meaningful change—not just chase vanity metrics—I’m kicking off a new series: ✨Measuring Longevity✨
We’ll unpack which numbers actually matter for aging well (and which don’t), from biological age tests to body composition.
First up: VO₂ max. Here’s why it matters so much, and how to track and improve yours.
🤓 What to know: VO2 max is a top predictor of lifespan.
VO₂ max is one of the strongest predictors of lifespan we have—more predictive than high blood pressure, cholesterol, or even diabetes risk.
So, what exactly is it?
🏃VO₂ max = your body’s engine. It measures how efficiently your body uses oxygen during exercise—aka how well your cardiovascular, pulmonary, and mitochondrial systems work under stress.
⏳ Age matters. VO₂ max naturally declines ~10% per decade after age 25, and ~15% per decade after age 50 (PLOS One, 2016).
💪 But exercise > age. Cardio, strength training, and HIIT can dramatically slow, or even reverse, VO₂ max decline.
♀️There’s a gender gap. Women generally have 25-30% lower VO₂ max scores than men (Journal of Clinical & Diagnostic Research, 2016). That’s partly due to body size and hemoglobin levels—not effort or fitness.
📈 It’s trackable. VO₂ max testing used to require a lab, treadmill, and oxygen mask. Now, wearables are becoming increasingly accurate. WHOOP gives the most accurate estimate within 8% of gold standard treadmill testing. (You can also manually input your VO2 max from a treadmill test.)
💪What to do: Make VO2 max your #1 fitness metric.
I see a lot of people either:
- Shy away from health data completely, or
- Get overwhelmed by all the numbers wearables provide, then freeze.
Start here. VO₂ max isn’t just a vanity metric. It drives real improvements in other important health indicators:
- Lower resting heart rate
- Better heart rate variability
- Improved metabolic efficiency
- Higher baseline calorie burn
And remember: what you don’t measure, you can’t manage.
⌚Start with the gold standard graded exercise test, if you can.
The most accurate way to measure VO₂ max is a graded exercise test: treadmill or bike + oxygen mask that measures your O₂ in and CO₂ out.
If you have access to this test, aim to do it every 2–4 years.
In between? Use a high-quality wearable like WHOOP to track trends over time. It won’t be perfect, but it’s directionally useful (expect ~10% margin of error).
🏃♀️ Train across three zones
To actually improve VO₂ max, you need the right mix of exercise:
Zone 2 cardio (low-intensity, steady state)
- Builds aerobic capacity, stroke volume (heart’s power per pump), capillary density, and mitochondrial health.
- Think fast walking, light cycling, or easy jogging, where you can talk but not sing.
- Aim for 3–5 sessions/week, 30–60 mins each.
HIIT (high-intensity intervals)
- Short bursts at 90–95% of max heart rate, followed by recovery.
- Classic 4×4 protocol: four 4-min intervals, with 3-min active rest, repeated 4 times.
- Can improve VO₂ max by ~7% in just 8 weeks (Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 2007).
Strength training
- Helps preserve muscle mass, which increases oxygen uptake and supports long-term VO₂ max gains.
- Strength training becomes more important with age (European Review of Aging and Physical Activity, 2013).
🧘 Don’t forget recovery, sleep, and food
VO₂ max isn’t just about exercise. Your recovery habits matter, too.
- Poor sleep = lower HRV, higher cortisol, impaired glucose tolerance
- Chronic stress = reduced mitochondrial efficiency + more oxidative damage
- Adequate protein and omega-3s = support mitochondrial repair and muscle synthesis
🏅The higher your VO2 max, the better.
The “average” VO₂ max for your age is a baseline, not a goal.
Train toward the optimal VO₂ max for someone 10 years younger.
Suggested minimum targets:
- Women 40–49: 46
- Women 50–59: 42
- Men 40–49: 56
- Men 50–59: 51
Use these numbers as a training benchmark—not a ceiling.
⚡Quick Hits
🧠 Microplastics increase Alzheimer’s risk
Mice exposed to high doses of microplastics in their drinking water developed Alzheimer’s-like symptoms. Human impact is still unclear—but if you have elevated genetic risk, this is one to watch.
Read my detailed microplastics detox protocol.
🥩 Marinating meat cuts cancer risk
I recently learned that marinating beef, chicken, or fish for just one hour before cooking may lower carcinogen levels by as much as 88%.
Add a simple marinade (like olive oil, citrus, herbs, or vinegar) before grilling or roasting to make your meals healthier and reduce carcinogenic risk.
🍫 Fiber soda ≠ gut health
WSJ just reported on fiber sodas and the new wave of fiber-fortified ultra-processed foods hoping to cash in on the fibermaxxing trend. Most use just one fiber: inulin. In excess, it can cause bloating and distortions in the microbiome.
Instead: aim for 30-50 grams of fiber from whole foods like fruits, veg, nuts, seeds, and whole grains for diverse fiber types, microbiome balance, and max health benefit.
💛 The Momgevity Files
Last week, I went to Burning Man. I know. For many, that’s a bit cringe. But before you close the tab, hear me out 👀
This dust-filled desert event has become, unexpectedly, a peak longevity reset for me—a muddy, beautiful mix of community, nature, play, and movement. And I keep going back not for the EDM or outfits (still working on those 😅), but because it gives me something I’ve never gotten from a wellness retreat or spa weekend.
I’d heard about Burning Man for years (mainly from my startup-world friends) but it always felt out of reach. For seven straight years, I was deep in the cycle of pregnancy, breastfeeding, and toddler life. Adventure wasn’t exactly on the menu. Then, right as my youngest was turning two, a friend invited me—and more importantly, handled all the logistics. (Bless them.)
That was three years ago. What I thought would be a one-time leap out of my comfort zone has turned into an annual pilgrimage. Not because I love house music or fishnets (strong no on both), but because it delivers 5 health essentials in one week that I spend a lot of time in the rest of my life seeking.
1. Digital Detox
Even with Starlink enabling spotty wifi here and there, most of the time, my phone stays buried in my backpack. I’m more unplugged than I am on any vacation—no emails, Instagram or calendaring. This kind of digital silence is rare, and it rewires something in me. The result is I feel more mentally clear than any other time of year.
2. Community
Building and running a camp taps into an experience most of us haven’t had since we were kids: Building with your hands with a shared purpose. Think adult summer camp—hauling gear, setting up shelter, solving problems together on the fly. It’s sweaty, hilarious, sometimes frustrating, and deeply bonding.
3. Unstructured Play
We explore. Dance. Bike aimlessly. Visit giant sculptures. Dress up. No agenda. No productivity tracker. Just play. And yes, it’s actually good for you. Play increases creativity, resilience, and brain plasticity. Adults need recess too.
4. Functional Movement
My daily stats double out there.
- 🚶♀️Steps: 15K+ (vs 7-8K at home)
- 🔥Calories burned: 2,500+ (vs 1300 at home)
- 🪑Time sitting: almost none (vs 8+ hours at home)
And none of it feels like a chore. It feels like life.
5. Nature
The Nevada desert is absolutely beautiful. You wake with the sun, fall asleep under a sea of stars, and spend all day battling (and surrendering to) the elements: wind, sun, mud, rain, cold, dust storms. I’m not naturally very outdoorsy, but every year I feel stronger for having survived it. I sleep like a rock in my cold little shift pod. I am in awe of the sunsets. And I come back feeling connected to my body.
As a mom, taking six days away from my family can feel wildly indulgent.
But in reality I’m not taking anything away. It’s giving me back to myself—my energy, my creativity, my clarity. And that is what I bring home to my work, my kids, and the season ahead.
Sometimes what you get is what you give. And this one week? It’s me giving to myself.
Stay strong, stay curious, and breathe,
Robin