In the age of wearable tech, there’s a temptation to believe that everything we need to know about our health and fitness can be strapped to our wrist.
But when it comes to truly understanding your cardiovascular fitness, the kind of insight that can transform your performance, training, and longevity; your SMART watch simply can’t hold a candle to a gold-standard VO2 max test, especially the one offered by CardioCoach at BodyView.
Here’s why your trusty watch, however “smart”, will never match the precision, reliability, and depth of insight of a professionally conducted VO2 max assessment.
What Is VO2 Max, and Why Should You Care?
VO2 max — short for "maximal oxygen uptake" is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can utilise during intense exercise. It’s widely recognised as the single best indicator of cardiovascular fitness and aerobic endurance.
The higher your VO2 max, the more efficient your body is at delivering oxygen to muscles, which means you can train harder, recover faster, and push further. Whether you’re training for a marathon, trying to lose fat, build endurance, or simply extend your healthy lifespan, improving your VO2 max will help.
In fact, low cardiorespiratory fitness (i.e. a low VO2 max) is associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality. That’s right: your VO2 max is one of the most important markers of your overall health.
The Allure of the Wrist: What Your SMART Watch Claims to Do
Today’s smartwatches are marketed as powerful health tools. Many boast “VO2 max tracking,” and at a glance, it might seem like a dream come true - personalised, real-time data without leaving your house.
But there’s a critical problem: your SMART watch isn’t actually measuring your VO2 max. It’s estimating it, and often not very well.
How SMART Watches Estimate VO2 Max
SMART watches typically estimate VO2 max using data from heart rate sensors and accelerometers. During activities like running or walking, the device compares your pace with your heart rate to guess how efficiently your body is using oxygen.
While this may sound clever, the flaws are significant:
They assume too much: These algorithms rely on standardised population data — not your individual physiology.
They’re based on outdoor running: Many VO2 estimates require GPS-tracked runs on flat terrain. Treadmill runners, cyclists, HIIT fans and non-runners? You’re out of luck.
Heart rate sensors aren’t perfect: Wrist-based heart rate sensors often lag or spike, especially during high-intensity training or when you're sweating heavily.
Lack of calibration: Most users don’t input or update accurate data like resting heart rate, maximum heart rate or lactate threshold, all of which can skew the estimate.
In short, it’s a bit like guessing someone’s IQ based on how fast they can walk. Directionally useful? Maybe. Clinically accurate? Absolutely not.
Why a CardioCoach VO2 Max Test at BodyView Is the Real Deal
When you take a VO2 max test at BodyView using the CardioCoach, you’re not getting an estimate - you’re getting a direct physiological measurement. The difference is night and day.
Let’s break down what makes CardioCoach at BodyView the gold standard.
1. Real Measurement, Real Data
During a VO2 max test at BodyView, you wear a face mask connected to a highly sensitive gas analyser (CardioCoach). You’ll perform graded exercise on a treadmill or bike while the system measures the oxygen you inhale and the carbon dioxide you exhale - breath by breath.
This is the only way to get an accurate measurement of how much oxygen your body is actually using. No assumptions. No averages. No algorithms.
2. Tailored to You
BodyView’s experienced team calibrates the test to your current fitness level. That means you’ll be pushed appropriately enough to reach your true max without overreaching or risking injury. You’re not relying on a “one-size-fits-all” formula.
The result? Personalised insight that reflects your physiology, your goals, and your potential.
3. More Than Just VO2 Max
A VO2 max test at BodyView reveals far more than a single number. You’ll also learn about:
Your aerobic and anaerobic thresholds
Your fat and carbohydrate burn rates
Your metabolic efficiency
Heart rate zones specific to your physiology
This makes your training radically more efficient. You’ll know when you’re actually burning fat, what heart rate to stay under for endurance, and when to push for gains.
Compare that to your SMART watch, which likely uses generic heart rate zones based on your age and guesses your calorie burn using a generic formula.
The Pitfalls of Over-Relying on Wearables
Let’s be honest: smartwatches are great for giving you a rough snapshot of your activity. They help build habits, offer gentle motivation, and provide feedback loops. For step-counting and keeping you accountable, they’re excellent.
But too many people assume their watch is a fitness oracle - when in reality, it’s often just a glorified pedometer with a heart rate tracker.
Here are a few more reasons to be cautious:
1. Inaccurate Readings Are Common
Numerous studies have shown large discrepancies between smartwatch VO2 max estimates and actual lab results. Some people are given figures 10–20% higher or lower than reality - enough to totally mislead training decisions.
2. No Way to Detect Thresholds
Your anaerobic threshold - the point where your body starts to rely more on carbohydrates than fat - is a critical fitness marker. It tells you where endurance turns into unsustainable effort. Smartwatches can’t measure it. A CardioCoach VO2 test can.
3. They Don’t Know When You’re Tired
Smartwatches can’t sense your sleep quality, your muscle fatigue, or your stress levels with much accuracy. So they’ll often encourage you to hit training targets or step goals regardless of how your body feels - potentially leading to overtraining.
The Real Power: VO2 Max and Longevity
At BodyView, we’re not just helping athletes perform better. We’re helping everyone live better - longer, healthier, more capable lives.
That’s where VO2 max becomes a powerful tool for longevity. Research shows that cardiorespiratory fitness is a stronger predictor of lifespan than smoking, hypertension or diabetes. In fact, increasing your VO2 max is associated with a significant drop in all-cause mortality.
By getting an accurate reading from the CardioCoach test and working to improve it - using evidence-based training within your personal zones - you can potentially add years to your life.
A smartwatch can’t offer that kind of clinical, actionable insight.
Real-Life Example: Same Person, Different Results
Let’s say Jane, a 45-year-old recreational runner, gets a VO2 max of 48 ml/kg/min from her smartwatch. She's thrilled. It puts her in the "Excellent" category for her age.
She books a proper VO2 max test at BodyView out of curiosity.
The result? Her actual VO2 max is 41 ml/kg/min - still good, but quite a bit lower. More importantly, she learns that her aerobic threshold occurs at a heart rate of 142 bpm, not the 155 her watch had been using.
This explains why she’d often feel wiped out after “easy” runs - she was unknowingly training too hard. With this new data, she adjusts her training zones. Within 12 weeks, her endurance improves, her fat burn increases, and her runs feel easier.
The lesson? Your watch might flatter you. The CardioCoach doesn’t - it tells the truth.
Why Choose BodyView for Your VO2 Max Test?
At BodyView, we don’t just test you and send you home. We explain what your data means and how to use it. You’ll walk away understanding how your body works - and what to do next.
With cutting-edge equipment, a controlled environment, and experienced technicians, your VO2 max test at BodyView will be comfortable, safe, and incredibly insightful.
Your VO2 max test can be combined with DEXA body composition, resting metabolic rate (RMR) testing, and the Longevity Report to give you a complete view of your health and fitness - not just your aerobic fitness, but your muscle mass, bone density, fat mass and calorie needs too.
The Tech Is Smart - But You Should Be Smarter
We’re not saying throw away your SMART watch. It’s a useful tool - like a map drawn in crayon. But if you want real results, accurate feedback, and deep insights into how your body performs, you need professional testing.
The CardioCoach VO2 max test at BodyView is the most precise way to understand your cardiovascular fitness and unlock your potential. It’s the difference between training blind and training smart. Between guessing and knowing.
And when it comes to your health, performance and longevity - knowledge is power.
Ready to find out your real VO2 max?
Book your CardioCoach VO2 max test at BodyView today - and start training with science, not guesswork.