VMA: measuring and exploiting your maximum aerobic speed

In running, VMA (maximum aerobic speed) is a central benchmark for calibrating your paces and structuring your intensity sessions.

What is VMA?

VMA is the speed at which you reach your maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max). Basically, it's the pace you can hold for about 5 to 6 minutes all-out. The higher your VMA, the faster your paces improve across all distances.

How to test it?

Several existing protocols: the half-Cooper (maximum distance in 6 min, converted to km/h) is simple and reliable. On a track preferably, after a warm-up. You can also estimate it from a recent 5 km race.

What's it actually for?

VMA serves as the basis for defining your training paces: endurance (60-70% VMA), threshold (~85-90% VMA), and VMA sessions themselves (95-105%). See also heart rate zones.

VMA sessions

• Short VMA: e.g. 10 to 15 x 30/30 (30 s fast, 30 s slow) around 100-105% VMA.
• Long VMA: e.g. 5 to 6 x 3 min at ~95% VMA, recovery 1-2 min.
• Always framed by easy endurance the rest of the week (80/20 principle).

Progress without injury

VMA is demanding on the body: 1 (or even 2) session per week is enough, never on consecutive days. Our rules for avoiding injuries.

Paces calculated for you

Sports Coach AI deduces your VMA/your threshold pace from your data, calibrates each session at the right speed and adapts it all to your current fitness — to progress without burning out.