Apple Watch Ultra 2 is not calculating Vo2 max?

[Zest28]

I read that for workouts longer than 20 minutes, Vo2 max will be calculated. But for whatever reason, my Apple Watch Ultra 2 refuses to do it even when I walk for 5 hours.

Is my watch broken?

 

[leescottdavis]

Outdoors?
Getting a good HR reading? Check the activity.

 

[jz0309]

I read that for workouts longer than 20 minutes, Vo2 max will be calculated. But for whatever reason, my Apple Watch Ultra 2 refuses to do it even when I walk for 5 hours.

Is my watch broken?

are you recording a workout (outdoor walk)?

Track your cardio fitness levels - Apple Support

Your Apple Watch can estimate your cardio fitness level and send you a notification when it's low.

support.apple.com

https://www.apple.com/healthcare/docs/site/Using_Apple_Watch_to_Estimate_Cardio_Fitness_with_VO2_max.pdf

 

[Zest28]

are you recording a workout (outdoor walk)?

Track your cardio fitness levels - Apple Support

Your Apple Watch can estimate your cardio fitness level and send you a notification when it's low.

support.apple.com

https://www.apple.com/healthcare/docs/site/Using_Apple_Watch_to_Estimate_Cardio_Fitness_with_VO2_max.pdf

Yes recorded it. Maybe my heart rate was too low that day as I managed to get a VO2 Max measurement when I was overdressed and was running hot for that reason (my heart rate was therefore higher than it normally would have been due to higher temperatures ).

 

[Zest28]

Is there a way to force a VO2 max measurements, because this Apple Watch is not very smart if it only does a measurement if I overdress myself up to the point that I have an artificially higher heart rate?

 

[Thirio2]

I may be displaying my ignorance, but I thought the outdoor workout had to be 30 minutes to calculate VO2 max. Remember, the calculation is only an estimate.

 

[Mackilroy]

No, it can be done in as little as twenty minutes. @Zest28 your heart rate does have to increase by about 30% of the range from resting to maximum; so if you’re taking it easy on walks you may not get a measurement. No overdressing is required though, I’ve gotten measurements wearing a t-shirt or all the way up to a winter coat. Are you walking on fairly flat grades, or steeper inclines (<5% increase or decrease)?

 

[GerritV]

No, it can be done in as little as twenty minutes. @Zest28 your heart rate does have to increase by about 30% of the range from resting to maximum; so if you’re taking it easy on walks you may not get a measurement. No overdressing is required though, I’ve gotten measurements wearing a t-shirt or all the way up to a winter coat. Are you walking on fairly flat grades, or steeper inclines (<5% increase or decrease)?

I too have some days without a VO2max update, but wasn't aware about the 30% increase.
Many thanks for your comment !

 

[Zest28]

No, it can be done in as little as twenty minutes. @Zest28 your heart rate does have to increase by about 30% of the range from resting to maximum; so if you’re taking it easy on walks you may not get a measurement. No overdressing is required though, I’ve gotten measurements wearing a t-shirt or all the way up to a winter coat. Are you walking on fairly flat grades, or steeper inclines (<5% increase or decrease)?

Walking on the flats only as I am recovering from an injury at the moment, so I keep things low impact. Thought it would be interesting to use VO2 Max measurements to see how my fitness drops during this period of recovery.

But if I need to walk on inclines to keep track of my VO2 Max over time, it is kinda useless I guess.

 

[Mackilroy]

I too have some days without a VO2max update, but wasn't aware about the 30% increase.
Many thanks for your comment !

Interesting. The only days where I don't have one are if I don't do an outdoor walk of at least twenty minutes.

Walking on the flats only as I am recovering from an injury at the moment, so I keep things low impact. Thought it would be interesting to use VO2 Max measurements to see how my fitness drops during this period of recovery.

But if I need to walk on inclines to keep track of my VO2 Max over time, it is kinda useless I guess.

No, you don't have to walk on inclines. Apple recommends doing precisely the opposite to get a VO2 estimate. Either something is wrong with your watch, or you're doing something wrong. Can you take a screenshot of a typical outdoor exercise for you? For reference, I took two outdoor walks today (shown in the posted images), and got VO2 estimates both times.

 

[GerritV]

Interesting. The only days where I don't have one are if I don't do an outdoor walk of at least twenty minutes.

From left to right:
1. Notice how my VO2max was not updated from Tuesday until Friday
2. Yet I did my Outdoor Walking workouts on all of those days
3. Details of today's Outdoor Walking workout (that are close to similar every day)

Not very trustworthy altogether I'd say

 

[Mackilroy]

I don’t know what your resting heart rate average is, or your maximum heart rate, but my guess is that you aren’t hitting that 30% increase. Evidently you’re just in too good of shape! 🙂 I’m not sure otherwise, it is extremely consistent in how it works for me.

 

[GerritV]

I don’t know what your resting heart rate average is, or your maximum heart rate, but my guess is that you aren’t hitting that 30% increase. Evidently you’re just in too good of shape! 🙂 I’m not sure otherwise, it is extremely consistent in how it works for me.

Resting average = 47 bpm, maximum average = 93 bpm (sorry I forgot to mention).
Thanks for the compliment BTW, I'm doing the best I can

 

[Mackilroy]

Huh, I’m not sure then. A question for Apple’s engineers more than me.

 

[arc of the universe]

Resting average = 47 bpm, maximum average = 93 bpm (sorry I forgot to mention).
Thanks for the compliment BTW, I'm doing the best I can

i would check to make sure that
1. your heartbeats per minute zones are being set to be calculated automatically instead of some user set setting
2. that your watch is set to not reduce the number of times it checks your heartbeats per minute
both of these are found in iPhone's Watch app' Workout settings.

a workout that has the data you provide would naturally have a VO2max reading no matter how fit you are.
- Outdoor Walk
- 9.7 km total distance
- 9min5sec pace/km
- 92 bpm heart rate
any outdoor walk with those stats will (normally), fit or not fit, record a VO2max reading.
your screen shot of the data is for the Week, with all 3 circles on the VO2max chart reading the exactly same info: (around) 41. now, a walking pace of around 9 min / km is considered to not quite be a brisk walk. but, i would imagine that a heart rate of 92 bpm on a 9.7 km / 112 min walk is on the low side for most walkers (possible, but unusual. even if youre walking on very flat ground and have long legs), over a distance of 9.7 km it would register r more variability than an average of 92bpm which all your walks are showing, for anyone but athletes or people who train as if they are an athlete,which you may be).

so therefore i reccomend looking at the two settings above.

i had never heard of this "30%" rule...
but even if, or, maybe especially if, there is such a rule, than not having your zones set automatically and dynamically by the system would make sense as reason why in your case you are not getting VO2max readings for every workout.

 

[GerritV]

i would check to make sure that
1. your heartbeats per minute zones are being set to be calculated automatically instead of some user set setting
2. that your watch is set to not reduce the number of times it checks your heartbeats per minute
both of these are found in iPhone's Watch app' Workout settings.

a workout that has the data you provide would naturally have a VO2max reading no matter how fit you are.
- Outdoor Walk
- 9.7 km total distance
- 9min5sec pace/km
- 92 bpm heart rate
any outdoor walk with those stats will (normally), fit or not fit, record a VO2max reading.
your screen shot of the data is for the Week, with all 3 circles on the VO2max chart reading the exactly same info: (around) 41. now, a walking pace of around 9 min / km is considered not be quite a brisk walk. BUT, i would imagine that a heart rate of 92 bpm on a 9.7 km / 112 min walk is on the low side for most walkers (possible, but unusual. even if youre walking on very flat ground and have long legs, over a distance of 9.7 km it would register higher than 92bpm for anyone but athletes or people who train as if they are an athlete,which you may be).

so therefore i reccomend looking at the two settings above.

i had never heard of this "30%" rule...
but even if, or, maybe especially if, there is such a rule, than not having your zones set automatically and dynamically by the system would make sense as reason why in your case you are not getting the VO2max reading.

Thanks for taking the time to write such an extensive and interesting answer !
Gives me a lot to work with indeed.

 

[MarkX]

V02 max is not something that needs to be checked daily, maybe every 4- 6 weeks or at the end of a training block to see how your training has gone.

 

[Mackilroy]

i had never heard of this "30%" rule...
but even if, or, maybe especially if, there is such a rule, than not having your zones set automatically and dynamically by the system would make sense as reason why in your case you are not getting the VO2max reading.

It’s from Apple’s paper on calculating VO2max.

 

[GerritV]

V02 max is not something that needs to be checked daily, maybe every 4- 6 weeks or at the end of a training block to see how your training has gone.

I totally understand, but that doesn't change the fact that my VO2max isn't updated consistently (i.e. after every Walking workout).

 

[MarkX]

I totally understand, but that doesn't change the fact that my VO2max isn't updated consistently (i.e. after every Walking workout).

Quite possibly your walk just isn't intensive enough.

 

[GerritV]

Quite possibly your walk just isn't intensive enough.

As much as I appreciate your input, perhaps you should read my post #11.
In there I clearly state and prove that my daily Walking workouts are very similar. I do keep a tight and consistent training schedule indeed.
So when some results do trigger a VO2max update and others do not, then something is wrong IMHO.

And if a 70min walk @ 9'05"/km (± 6,6km/h) tempo isn't intensive enough, I don't know what is.

 

[Zest28]

As much as I appreciate your input, perhaps you should read my post #11.
In there I clearly state and prove that my daily Walking workouts are very similar. I do keep a tight and consistent training schedule indeed.
So when some results do trigger a VO2max update and others do not, then something is wrong IMHO.

And if a 70min walk @ 9'05"/km (± 6,6km/h) tempo isn't intensive enough, I don't know what is.

These guys are just die hard Apple defenders really. “You are walking wrong!!!”

I can’t wait when Garmin releases the Fenix 8, I will replace my Apple Watch Ultra 2 with this watch when it comes out.

 

[MarkX]

As much as I appreciate your input, perhaps you should read my post #11.
In there I clearly state and prove that my daily Walking workouts are very similar. I do keep a tight and consistent training schedule indeed.
So when some results do trigger a VO2max update and others do not, then something is wrong IMHO.

And if a 70min walk @ 9'05"/km (± 6,6km/h) tempo isn't intensive enough, I don't know what is.

I'll admit I didn't read the earlier post!

I'm an apple watch and Garmin watch user and all I know is that on my Garmin it can be weeks if not longer before there may be a change in my v02 max.

Maybe your device is faulty then.

 

[GerritV]

These guys are just die hard Apple defenders really. “You are walking wrong!!!”

I can’t wait when Garmin releases the Fenix 8, I will replace my Apple Watch Ultra 2 with this watch when it comes out.

An Apple fan myself, ever since the mid 80's. But nowadays, either the AW or the watchOS or both are not that trustworthy.

 

[GerritV]

I'll admit I didn't read the earlier post!

I'm an apple watch and Garmin watch user and all I know is that on my Garmin it can be weeks if not longer before there may be a change in my v02 max.

Maybe your device is faulty then.

My VO2max doesn't necessarily have to change, but it should at least update after each workout.
Oh well, it's not the end of the world ;-)