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VO2 Max and afib
According to my Apple Watch, my VO2 Max cratered following diagnosis of a-fib. However, I am in a-fib only infrequently and I still achieve the same Peloton performance without any additional effort. I have no idea what’s up. Anyone else experience this? Thanks.
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I don't know what's going on with that assessment, but VO2Max is a measurement of your oxygen uptake, NOT your O2 availability or delivery (by your heart and lungs). IOW, VO2Max indicates how well-trained your musculature and circulatory system are to make you do stuff......hard....and fast. In your watch's case, it's making a guesstimate of your VO2 based on how much oxygen you're showing in your blood or based on your activity....not sure. But if it says your VO2 has sunk or degraded, it's a function of your reduced cardiac output when AF is happening, not that your fitness level is what has crashed...that's impossible.
Your VO2Max is the same as it was two weeks ago, assuming you feel secure enough with the AF to do much of the same level of activity. If that level of activity and effort sets off your AF, then I guess you'll have to back off and you may indeed lose some fitness, and therefore also some of that higher VO2Max.
Gloaming, Thsnks for weighing in here. I think I have found a clue. Since my once-a-month afib episodes are relatively brief, it’s something else than what we have discussed. I learned today that the Apple Watch requires gps to calculate VO2 max and therefore does not measure indoor activity such as my Peloton usage. So, what else in my life changed at the time of the crash? Well, I changed jobs and no longer ride my bike much outdoors. Not sure exactly how that would explain things, but it might be a clue.
@zacklucy That must be it. I use a rowing machine indoors during our windy and rainy winters in the PNW. Beats getting all the rain gear on and heading out into the gloom.