Cardio Capacity is one of Oura's Heart Health measurements, designed with an eye toward your future health and longevity. The Cardio Capacity feature is available on both Android and iOS to Oura members with a Gen3 ring and active membership.
What Is Cardio Capacity?
What Is VO2 Max?
How to Use Cardio Capacity
Walking Test
Manually Added Data
Future Me
Things to Keep in Mind
More Information
What Is Cardio Capacity?
Cardio Capacity is an age-adjusted estimate of your VO2 max reading, which is the maximum amount of oxygen your body is able to utilize during exercise. Cardio Capacity is a great measure of cardiorespiratory (aerobic) fitness because it signals how well your heart, blood vessels, and muscles work together.
What Is VO2 Max?
VO2 max, or maximal oxygen uptake, measures the maximum amount of oxygen an individual can utilize during intense, exhaustive exercise. VO2 max is generally measured in milliliters of oxygen used in one minute per kilogram of body weight (ml/kg/min). The greater your body's ability to supply oxygen to your muscles during sustained physical activity, the higher your VO2 max score will be.
VO2 max varies significantly among individuals according to many influences, including age, sex, fitness level, and genetics. While it is commonly regarded as an athletic performance indicator, VO2 max correlates well with longevity, and is therefore a useful metric for anyone interested in their health, not just athletes.
How to Use Cardio Capacity
You can locate Cardio Capacity in the Heart Health screen of the Oura App. The initial reading will show a number based on anthropometric data (age, sex, height, and weight) as entered in My profile under the Oura App menu. This number is an estimate only, based on population averages.
Depending on your VO2 max number, your Cardio Capacity will fall into one of four levels:
- Peak: very high within your age group
- High: high within your age group
- Fair: average or slightly below average within your age group
- Low: below average within your age group
For a more precise measurement of your Cardio Capacity, the Oura App will prompt you to complete a six-minute walking test. You can also manually add a VO2 max value if you have a lab test result or a VO2 max reading from a trusted source, such as another wearable.
Walking Test
Tap Take the walking test to start.
- Location services must be turned on for the app to measure your Cardio Capacity
- Make sure your phone is charged above 20% before taking the walking test and carry your phone with you for the entire route
- Walk at a brisk pace (as quickly as you can without running out of breath)
- Choose a straight, level route that avoids traffic lights, which may interrupt a steady walking pace
- Choose a route that avoids tunnels, which may interrupt GPS signal
During the walking test, Oura will use the distance traveled and your heart rate to calculate your Cardio Capacity. Please note that because Oura uses the physical distance traveled to calculate your Cardio Capacity, the walking test cannot be performed on a treadmill.
After completion of a walking test, the app will display a graph of any current and past measured Cardio Capacity. To better track your Cardio Capacity, we recommend that you take a walking test approximately once a month.
Manually Added Data
If you want to update your VO2 max with a value from an external source, select Add your current VO2 max to manually add a data point. Enter a number 1-100 and then select Done.
Any VO2 max data can be deleted by swiping left on the entry and selecting Delete.
Future Me
Cardio Capacity naturally declines as you age. This decline can be mitigated with regular movement and exercise. The Future Me chart provides a visual representation of how your potential future Cardio Capacity compares to expected average decline.
The dotted blue line represents how maintaining or increasing activity levels can improve your Cardio Capacity. The solid white line is a prediction of your Cardio Capacity based on your current activity levels and expected population-level decline.
Both lines estimate how difficult or easy it would feel to climb several flights of stairs at different ages.
Things to Keep in Mind
- The Oura walking test is not as accurate as a lab test, but is an easy and accessible way to understand your Cardio Capacity
- Performing the walking test at high altitude may have an impact on your Cardio Capacity results
- You may see gaps in your Cardio Capacity graph if you haven’t performed the walking test regularly. We recommend that you take a walking test approximately once a month
- Although Cardio Capacity and Cardiovascular Age are both part of Oura's Heart Health feature, the two measurements do not have a direct impact on each other. Seeing an increase or decrease in one metric will not necessarily mean seeing an increase or decrease in the other
The Oura Ring is not a medical device and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, monitor, or prevent medical conditions or illnesses. Please do not make any changes to your medication, daily routines, nutrition, sleep schedule, or workouts without first consulting your doctor or another medical professional.
