A review: Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max) and its estimation methods

The maximal oxygen consumption [VO2 max] attained during a graded maximal exercise to voluntary exhaustion has long since been considered by the World Health Organization as the single best indicator of cardio respiratory fitness. VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen a person can intake and the value does not change despite an increase in workload over time period. VO2 max is expressed as liters/min as an absolute value or in milliliters /kg/min as relative VO2 max. The VO2 max can be estimated using direct or indirect methods.The purpose of this Review is to Describe VO2 max and analyze the contemporary research available in VO2 max measurements carried out in all Populations and includes Direct method (Laboratory method) and Indirect methods (Field test) for VO2 max estimation. There are no such review in literature which describes all the direct and indirect methods at one plot.This Review strives to put all the possible methods to estimation of Vo2 max together at one plot, and it suggests that there are two kinds of methods to estimate Maximum oxygen consumption(Vo2 max) of individual, one is Direct method & another is Indirect method (Performance based predictive equations & Non- exercise based predictive equations). As the Equipment required for estimation by Direct method is not easily available everywhere, it is more convenient to estimate Vo2 max using Indirect method.