Survival of the fittest: VO2max, a key predictor of longevity

Researchers studied 122,007 adults who completed treadmill exercise tests at a medical center. They measured VO2max, the maximum amount of oxygen the body can use during hard exercise, as a measure of aerobic fitness. The researchers tracked participants for a median of 8.4 years. People with higher fitness levels were less likely to die during that period. The fittest group had about an 80% lower risk of death than the least-fit group.

What this means for you: This supports improving aerobic fitness as a worthwhile health goal, but it does not prove that fitness alone caused longer life. The study was observational, and participants were people referred for exercise testing, so the results may not apply equally to everyone.