How is aerobic exercise performance measured?

Aerobic exercise performance is measured by how long it takes someone to complete an event of a specific distance (i.e., a “time trial”), with a faster time indicating better performance.

Other measures of aerobic fitness that may predict aerobic exercise performance include aerobic capacity, lactate threshold, and exercise efficiency/economy (i.e., the oxygen cost of movement). Aerobic capacity, or VO₂max, is the highest rate of oxygen consumption that the body can achieve. VO₂max is the most commonly measured component of aerobic fitness and is a key predictor of aerobic exercise performance — elite endurance athletes have VO₂max values 50%–100% higher than non-elite active people.^[1] VO₂max, lactate threshold, and exercise efficiency are all measured, or estimated, using specific exercise testing protocols.