Change in VO2 Max since upgrading to watchOS 26?

[johnl1275]

Has anyone noticed a change in their VO2 max readings after upgrading to watchOS 26? Prior to upgrading my VO2 max was around 45. Then the day I upgraded it jumped to 49 and then today it is at 50. I have not done a lab test recently so I am not sure what my actual VO2 max is, just wondering if anyone has seen the same thing.

I am in a marathon training block at the moment and am seeing some gains that I have been very happy with, but a 5 point bump in Vo2 seems like a pretty big jump...

 

[tcuprof]

Hmmm. Mine has dropped from 42 to 41 since the update (which was last week with the RC).

 

[Beau10]

Yep, it went from low 44 to mid 46 on the first workout, and now it low 47s after being in low 44s for months.

My hunch is its related to blood oxygen data possibly being factored in.

 

[Dave 123]

Seems like a change in algorithm. O2 measurement isn’t the issue, as I’m outside the USA. Mine went from 48 to 50.4

 

[doogm]

Not really, though it went down today a little.

 

[Perturbance]

Yeah, mine increased with the new iOS and WatchOS updates. This is on a Series 8 Watch. When I first opened the Vo2 section of the Health app after the upgrade & workout, I got a prompt asking me if I wanted it to recalculate my past readings. I answered yes to that prompt.

 

[Dave 123]

Interesting that this is deliberate. I got no such prompt. I’m now up to 50.8 today. Where does the Learn More… button take you?

 

[Perturbance]

Interesting that this is deliberate. I got no such prompt. I’m now up to 50.8 today. Where does the Learn More… button take you?

It sends me to the Apple Support page https://support.apple.com/en-us/108790. There is a blurb at the bottom of that page:

"If the Health app detects that your previous cardio fitness estimates could be more accurate, you'll have the option to update your data. In Cardio Fitness, tap Update under Update Your Data. After you update, the Cardio Fitness Data Updated notification shows you the results of the update and how your estimates changed."

 

[Asthmatic Kitty]

Yeah mine jumped up a bit, too — 1.8 units in the space of a few days.

I had a proper test done in a lab a year ago, and it came out about 5% above what the watch had estimated, i.e. the watch was previously underestimating my VO2 max. So it makes sense that mine would jump up if they made the algorithm more accurate.

Interesting how some people's measurements are decreasing whilst others are increasing — I'd have kinda thought it would be one or the other. Mine went up by an average of 2.7 ml/kg/min after doing the update, not gonna complain about that 😁