CoachingAnswer

DOES VO2 MAX DECLINE WITH AGE?

By Anthony WalshRoadman CyclingUpdated 26 May 2026

ANSWER

Yes. VO2 max declines roughly 1% per year after the age of 40 in the general population. In consistently trained cyclists the rate is slower — around 0.5–0.7% per year — and the absolute values remain much higher than sedentary peers. VO2 max interval training (4–5-minute efforts at 95–110% of max aerobic power) directly counteracts the ceiling decline and is one of the most important sessions masters riders should keep in rotation.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

VO2 max declines ~1%/year after 40; consistently trained cyclists decline closer to 0.5–0.7%/year.
VO2 max intervals (4–5 minutes at high intensity) directly slow the decline.
The gap between trained and untrained masters athletes widens with every decade.
Stopping VO2 max work is the fastest way to accelerate the decline — keep it in the plan year-round.

WHO THIS IS FOR

IS THIS YOU?

The masters rider watching their top-end power fade

Your threshold is holding but you're losing snap and the ability to respond to hard accelerations.

The cyclist wondering whether hard intervals are worth it after 50

You've heard 'train easy' and wondered if high-intensity work still applies to you.

THE ROADMAN VIEW

The 1% per year figure gets quoted a lot, and it's real — but it's the population average, and that includes people who stop doing any hard training after 40. The Roadman position, based on what coaches like Joe Friel and researchers like Andy Galpin describe on the podcast, is that the decline is real, partly unavoidable, and far more negotiable than most masters cyclists assume.

The mechanism matters here. VO2 max is primarily a function of how much oxygen your heart can deliver and your muscles can use. Both decline with age — cardiac output drops, mitochondrial density falls if you don't train it. But VO2 max intervals directly stimulate both adaptations. Four to five minutes at high intensity, twice a week, is the training that most directly counteracts the decline in the ceiling.

The mistake masters riders make is dropping the hard sessions as they age, in favour of more easy volume. The logic feels right — harder means more fatigue, more recovery time needed. But harder also means the strongest signal to maintain VO2 max. The protocol changes after 40 (longer recovery, fewer reps), but the sessions themselves need to stay in the plan.

EXPERT EVIDENCE

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY

Joe FrielAuthor of Fast After 50 and The Cyclist's Training Bible
VO2 max is the strongest single predictor of masters endurance performance, and the evidence is clear that it's highly responsive to training at any age. Masters athletes who keep VO2 max intervals in their programme decline far more slowly than those who shift entirely to easy volume.
Hear it: The Training Secret To Going FASTER After 40 | Joe Friel
Dr David LipmanPhysician specialising in masters athlete performance
The rate of VO2 max decline is significantly modifiable through training. Masters cyclists who maintain consistent high-intensity work show markedly slower decline curves than those who don't — and even athletes in their 60s and 70s show measurable VO2 max improvements in response to structured high-intensity training.
Hear it: How to Beat 99% by Getting Faster with Age | Dr David Lipman

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

DO THIS WEEK

Keep one VO2 max session per week in your training
4 x 4 minutes at 95–110% of max aerobic power, 4 minutes easy recovery. Two sessions a week in a build block, one a week as maintenance through the year. These sessions are the direct intervention against the ceiling decline.
Allow longer recovery between VO2 max efforts
After 50, the recovery between reps can extend to 5 minutes rather than 4, and the session may drop to 3 reps rather than 5. The quality of each rep matters more than volume. Incomplete recovery blunts the stimulus.
Test VO2 max proxy annually
A ramp test to exhaustion gives a reliable VO2 max proxy. Run it once a year at a similar point in your training cycle to track the trajectory. This tells you whether the intervals are working.

COMMON MISTAKES

WHAT CYCLISTS GET WRONG

MISTAKEDropping all high-intensity work as you age to 'protect recovery'.
FIXVO2 max intervals are the main training stimulus that counteracts the ceiling decline. Remove them entirely and the decline accelerates. Reduce frequency if needed, but don't eliminate.
MISTAKEStarting VO2 max sessions without adequate aerobic base.
FIXHigh-intensity work sits on an aerobic foundation. Ensure the bulk of training is genuinely easy before stacking hard intervals on top.
MISTAKENot allowing longer recovery between VO2 max sessions after 50.
FIXSpace VO2 max sessions with 2–3 easy days between, not one. The adaptation signal is the same; the cost in recovery is higher.

FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What VO2 max is considered good for a masters cyclist?

For reference, competitive masters cyclists often sit in the 50–60 ml/kg/min range. VO2 max above 55 ml/kg/min at 50 is associated with strong masters racing performance. Track the trajectory year on year rather than fixating on an absolute number.

At what age does VO2 max decline most rapidly?

The decline is gradual through the 40s and accelerates through the 50s and 60s. Sedentary individuals show steeper decline curves; consistently trained endurance athletes maintain significantly higher values for longer.

Can VO2 max improve after 50?

Yes, from an under-trained baseline. Masters athletes starting structured high-intensity training for the first time often see measurable VO2 max gains. Even well-trained athletes can achieve small but meaningful improvements in a focused block.

Is VO2 max or FTP more important for masters cycling?

Both matter, and they're related — VO2 max sets the ceiling, FTP determines what percentage of that ceiling you can sustain. Losing VO2 max raises the floor from which your FTP can be built. Protecting both requires different sessions.

Do women lose VO2 max faster than men after 40?

The research suggests the rate of decline is similar between sexes for trained athletes, though absolute values differ. Both men and women benefit from the same intervention: consistent VO2 max interval training and resistance work to preserve muscle.

How often should masters cyclists do VO2 max intervals?

Once a week as maintenance, twice a week in a dedicated build block. More than twice a week is usually unsustainable at adequate quality when combined with threshold work and the recovery demands of masters athletes.

RELATED EPISODES

HEAR THE CONVERSATIONS

7 Fixable Reasons Your VO2 Max Is Low | Roadman Cycling

The Training Secret To Going FASTER After 40 | Joe Friel

How to Beat 99% by Getting Faster with Age | Dr David Lipman