# Aerobic capacity

Aerobic capacity is the most oxygen your body can take in and use to make ATP during long exercise. By the Fick principle (VO2 = Q × (a-v)O2), it depends on two things: how well you deliver oxygen (cardiac output, hemoglobin, capillaries) and how well your muscles pull it out (mitochondrial function). It is most often measured as VO2max. A higher aerobic capacity supports endurance, faster recovery, and metabolic resilience. It also tracks closely with healthspan and with lower heart and all-cause death.

## Sources

- Kodama S, Saito K, Tanaka S, Maki M, Yachi Y, Asumi M, Sugawara A, Totsuka K, Shimano H, Ohashi Y, Yamada N, Sone H. (2009). Cardiorespiratory fitness as a quantitative predictor of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events in healthy men and women: a meta-analysis. JAMA. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2009.681

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