# Decline in VO2Max after 50 (N=1)

**URL:** <https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/decline-in-vo2max-after-50-n-1/9117>\
**Category:** Training\
**Created:** [January 4, 2019, 2:49am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/decline-in-vo2max-after-50-n-1/9117 "2019-01-04T02:49:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![apond58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f9ae1b/32.png) [@apond58](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/apond58)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2019, 2:49am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/decline-in-vo2max-after-50-n-1/9117/1 "2019-01-04T02:49:17Z")

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![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/original/2X/2/21e054a162a53acfb574e68f9ffc875b285bf1a6.png)

For those who might be interested in the decline in VO2Max after 50 years of age, this is my experience having just turned 60. The 2000 m indoor row is a good proxy for determining VO2max as world class athletes go under 6 minutes (not me 😑) which is considered a typical VO2max effort.

Every year I start a rowing program in mid-September and target the CIRC on the first Sunday in February (Canada). My training programs have varied but I always feel like I couldn’t have done much more work to prepare for the race and then during the race it was a RPE of 10/10. I trained 5 to 6 days a week on the erg during this period building towards a peak for the race. It is the only erg race I do every year and afterwards I switch to road bike training. Most variables such as weight, health, etc. I would consider stable though the history shown. Years without results, I couldn’t race for some reason.

A researcher developed a correlation between VO2Max and the 2000 m indoor row performance and I have used the calculator linked above, to determine my numbers (which agrees to other testing I have done through running). You can see from my results that my performance decline has been a about 1.2% per year from age 50 to 59. I started using training plans around age 48 and as a result, my times improved from previously unsophisticated training years

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**Author:** ![Captain\_Doughnutman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/trainerroad/forum/user_avatar/www.trainerroad.com/captain_doughnutman/32/7694_2.png) [@Captain\_Doughnutman](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/u/Captain_Doughnutman)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2019, 6:56am UTC](https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/decline-in-vo2max-after-50-n-1/9117/2 "2019-01-04T06:56:46Z")

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