Increasing CO2 Tolerance / Vo2 Max

CO2- It’s youR friend

What sets apart a high-endurance athlete from a non-athlete or everyday warrior is their ability to tolerate higher amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) in their blood. The more carbon dioxide we can tolerate in the body, the higher intensity we can work at without fatiguing. The easiest way to build your tolerance is to shut your mouth and let your nose do the work; that is what it was designed for. Nasal breathing creates greater resistance to offload the proper amount of carbon dioxide; which in turn, leads to 10%-20% more oxygen absorption in the blood.

As a reminder, carbon dioxide is naturally produced when our body breaks down glucose, fats, and oxygen to convert it into energy. The common misconception is carbon dioxide is just a waste bi-product and it’s harmful. Carbon dioxide is in your body at all times; only excess carbon dioxide is released when we exhale. Carbon dioxide plays a vital role in the release of oxygen from the hemoglobin into our red blood cells. This is called the Bohr effect.

Receptors in the brain monitor the concentration of carbon dioxide, oxygen, and PH in your blood. During physical exercise, increased metabolic activity produces higher levels of carbon dioxide in the blood. When the carbon dioxide increases, the receptors stimulate breathing to rid the body of excess carbon dioxide. Overtime, nasal breathing trains the receptors to tolerate higher amounts of carbon dioxide. This allows us to use the air we breathe more efficiently. Carbon dioxide is the doorway that lets oxygen reach our muscles and cells.

Most importantly, building your tolerance to carbon dioxide is an optimal way to increase your VO2 max! High endurance athletes strive to have a high VO2 max.

VO2 max, also known as maximal oxygen consumption

Vo2 Max refers to the maximum amount of oxygen that an individual can utilize during intense or maximal exercise. This measurement is considered the best indicator of cardiovascular fitness and aerobic endurance. VO2 max is measured in milliliters of oxygen consumed in one minute, per kilogram of body weight. The goal of most training programs is to increase the VO2 max.

Understanding carbon dioxide’s role in our body is just as important as understanding how diet and exercise are essential for a healthy life. We now know carbon dioxide is a vital ingredient to assist in elevating your athletic performance and overall health!

One way to test and monitor your tolerance to carbon dioxide is to actively check your BOLT Score.