What does MVO2 mean in PHYSIOLOGY

Myocardial Oxygen Consumption (MVO2) is a measure of the rate of oxygen used by the heart while contracting and relaxing. It is a key indicator of cardiorespiratory fitness and a measure of cardiac efficiency.

A higher level of MVO2 indicates better physical performance, as it suggests that more oxygen can be quickly utilized during exercise or other activities requiring cardiovascular effort. Thus, having higher levels of MVO2 might help improve exercise capacity and other physical activity outcomes.

Regular aerobic exercise has been associated with increasing levels of MVO2. Other ways to improve one's MVO2 include taking breaks from sedentary activities and engaging in low-intensity activities throughout the day, like walking or light jogging. Eating a healthy diet full of vitamins and minerals could also help increase MVO2 levels over time.

Although having higher levels of MVO2 generally comes with positive benefits, having too high an amount could potentially lead to overtraining or exhaustion due to excessive demand on the heart's energy reserves. It may also cause increases in blood pressure which causes demands on all major organs in order to provide sufficient oxygenation across the body's tissues.

Measuring one's own level at home without medical assistance can be done through pulse oximetry readings which measure changes in neighboring tissue perfusion across certain cardiovascular measurements such as respiration rate or stroke volume.