VO2 Max

A term frequently tossed around in endurance sports is VO2 Max. VO2 Max, in layman's terms, is the size of your engine to perform a specific sport or how much oxygen you can take in and process. In other words, how much oxygen (volume) your body uses per kilogram of body weight during 1 minute of exercise at your max level. An seasoned athlete would be in the range of 40-60. Claims have been made that Lance Armstrong has a VO2 Max in the mid 80s. For amateur athletes, getting your V02 max is a great way to find your baseline, as well as get your lactate threshold, heart rate zones, power zones, and your caloric burn rate of carbohydrates and fats. Typically, the test should be administered 1-2 times per season.
Your V02 max is mostly determined by your genetics, but is trainable up to 20-30%. Also consider this; an athlete that has more power, less body fat, better endurance, and can sustain anaerobic threshold can compete, or even beat someone with a better V02 max. From an ametuers perspective, if you stick with your training plan, V02 max becomes less of a factor when competing with other athletes.
So, what other factors effect your VO2 Max - age: over 40 and your V02 max will decrease if your a male, for females it may take a little longer. Altitude can also be a factor, the higher you go, the lower your V02 max. Body fat also has an impact on your V02 max - the less body fat, the higher your V02 max.
The test should be performed by a coach or professional and involves wearing a mask that will send your data to a computer. The test usually takes about 1 1/2 hours and the professional will sit down afterwards and explain the test results to you.