Vo2 max - sport modes

[Stefan Kersting]

I see that my est. Vo2 max. drops significantly when doing some hikes or walks after longer periods of running. Here I think the algorithm doesn’t catch the difference between these activities and it can take some runs to get back to the Vo2 max I had before. Is there a possibility to disable the Vo2 max measuring in the hiking/walking sports mode? One alternative I considered is to hike e.g. in cycling mode and edit it back to hiking activity

By the way, how precise is the est. Vo2 max? I tried to find some tests/reviews on the web performing a lab test comparing the results with the calculated Suunto Vo2 max. would be interesting to see that.

[Lechamoix]

@Stefan-Kersting I have the VO2 max of a Garmin athlete and the VO2 max of a suunto smoker.
I have a big difference between the two brands.

[martintrail]

So do I. Even just the difference between running and trail running.

[Tieutieu]

@Stefan-Kersting said in Vo2 max - sport modes:

By the way, how precise is the est. Vo2 max? I tried to find some tests/reviews on the web performing a lab test comparing the results with the calculated Suunto Vo2 max. would be interesting to see that.

Fully agree with you : I don’t understand why VO2max is calculated for walking and hiking activities…I always disable hr to avoid this. But sometime I’d like to have hr on (for better tss calculation).
It is also far more effective when doing running instead of trail running (my guess is that the algorythm doesn’t deal very good with elevation).

Concerning VO2max accuracy, here is my experience (doesn’t mean it’s the « truth » ) :
My suunto’s values of VO2max are mostly between 56 and 58. Earlier in July I went for a proper VO2max test (on treadmill with mask) in a lab. The mesure was 59,5.
Considering the best values I got with my watch (58,4 on a very demanding trail run and 58,2 on a half-marathon), I have concluded that the algorithm works well enough.
By experience I can now tell, related to sensations, when it really underestimate the value when I’m doing trail runs.

[seanvk]

@Stefan-Kersting Agree. I hike and run and it is ridiculous how far my Vo2max tanks from a week of hiking. These need to be separated or at a minimum don’t calculate Vo2max on hikes.

[Stefan Kersting]

@Tieutieu maybe we have to suggest that the Vo2 max should be possible to toggel in the watch menu when choosing an activity

I think I have to do such a lab test. I just saw someone on youtube that compared different watches and their algorithm to calculate the Vo2 max matched pretty good compared with the lab test. But I am a kind of nerd concerning this

[Tieutieu]

@Stefan-Kersting said in Vo2 max - sport modes:

@Tieutieu maybe we have to suggest that the Vo2 max should be possible to toggel in the watch menu when choosing an activity

Fully agree ! Like OHR setting, It should be great that sport mode keeps the last setting.

[Elipsus]

@Stefan-Kersting I made the same remark on the forum a few month ago, I can’t agree more with you, the Vo2max calculation during a hike is so dumb…

[v.sacre]

I have also raised this in the past if I remember well.
Really a pitty that we can’t toggle on/off the vo2max.

I also experience this lowering of vo2max when hiking, when running pushing a croozer chariot or when doing some very gentle trail running

[Lechamoix]

@v-sacre Since I only do trail running, my VO2 max is completely screwed up. Let’s hope for a special calculation like Garmin’s in a future firmware.

[Łukasz Szmigiel]

It’s been talked over and over again on this forum for last, I don’t know, three years? Apparently it’s impossible for Suunto to either get it right algorithmically or, as was suggested quite a few times before - let users decide for which activities VO2 will be estimated by giving the user a simple switch in the workout options screen (similarly to how feeling is implemented).

[Lechamoix]

@Łukasz-Szmigiel The algorithms will change in the next firmware. Let’s hope it happens in the future. Cross finger

[Stefan Kersting]

@Lechamoix anyone knowing when an update comes?

[Lechamoix]

@Stefan-Kersting Probably with the next watch. Coming soon. The firmware will be shared for both models.

[GiPFELKiND]

@Lechamoix when the next watch will come?! October this year!?

[Stefan Kersting]

@Lechamoix next watch ? Better than vertical 🫣?

[Lechamoix]

@GiPFELKiND I don’t know, but it’s in the pipe

[Lechamoix]

@Stefan-Kersting Another segment. There’s already a topic on the forum

[dulko79]

@Lechamoix you seem to have a good overview of things coming our way

[Lechamoix]

@dulko79 I don’t know. I’m just guessing with things I found on the internet