Endpoint
Maximal oxygen uptake
CAT:outcome/vo2maxreported in mL/kg/min10 findings from 9 compounds
What moved it
How to read these marks10 findings · 9 compounds · 5 null · by evidence strength
| Compound | Direction | Findings | Strongest evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| nitrate | no effect 1 · up 1 | 2 | Evidence strength: moderate. Human evidence with one recorded weakness, or capped at moderate by its design or by unread numbers. |
| astaxanthin | no effect | 1 | Evidence strength: moderate. Human evidence with one recorded weakness, or capped at moderate by its design or by unread numbers. |
| coenzyme Q10 | no effect | 1 | Evidence strength: moderate. Human evidence with one recorded weakness, or capped at moderate by its design or by unread numbers. |
| creatine | no effect | 1 | Evidence strength: moderate. Human evidence with one recorded weakness, or capped at moderate by its design or by unread numbers. |
| L-arginine | up | 1 | Evidence strength: moderate. Human evidence with one recorded weakness, or capped at moderate by its design or by unread numbers. |
| Rhodiola rosea | up | 1 | Evidence strength: moderate. Human evidence with one recorded weakness, or capped at moderate by its design or by unread numbers. |
| (-)-epigallocatechin 3-gallate | up | 1 | Evidence strength: limited. Human evidence with several recorded weaknesses, or a design that tops out at limited. |
| caffeine | no effect | 1 | Evidence strength: very limited. Human evidence with major recorded weaknesses, or non-human, uncontrolled or unverified evidence. |
| magnesium(2+) | down | 1 | Evidence strength: very limited. Human evidence with major recorded weaknesses, or non-human, uncontrolled or unverified evidence. |
Reported to move it
5 findings
Rhodiola rosea — increases
ModerateEvidence strength: moderate. Human evidence with one recorded weakness, or capped at moderate by its design or by unread numbers.Finding“The RHO group exhibited a significantly higher VO2max relative to the CTR group (p = 0.034, 95% CI = [−3.089, −0.125], ηp2 = 0.060).”
Quoted verbatim from The Effect of Short-Term Rhodiola rosea Supplementation on Simulated Game Time, Perceived Fatigue, and Performance in Basketball Players.. - Study
- RCT
- Duration
- 4 weeks
- Dose
- 2.4 g/day, taken fasted 30 min before breakfast and lunch, for 28 days
- Population
- 48 professional male basketball players, Rhodiola group versus control group given empty capsules; Bruce treadmill protocol to volitional exhaustion after 28 days
The Effect of Short-Term Rhodiola rosea Supplementation on Simulated Game Time, Perceived Fatigue, and Performance in Basketball Players.2025PMID:41373984Industry fundedPermalink
L-arginine — increases
ModerateEvidence strength: moderate. Human evidence with one recorded weakness, or capped at moderate by its design or by unread numbers.Finding“This meta-analysis indicated that supplementation with L-arginine could increase VO2 max in healthy people.”
Quoted verbatim from The effect of L-arginine supplementation on maximal oxygen uptake: A systematic review and meta-analysis.. - Study
- meta-analysis
- Population
- healthy people; overall pooled estimate across 11 randomized clinical trials
The effect of L-arginine supplementation on maximal oxygen uptake: A systematic review and meta-analysis.2021PMID:33587327Permalink
(-)-epigallocatechin 3-gallate — increases
LimitedEvidence strength: limited. Human evidence with several recorded weaknesses, or a design that tops out at limited.Finding“Compared with placebo, short-term EGCG consumption increased VO2max (Table 2; mean change = +0.136 ± 0.064 L·min-1; P = 0.04;).”
Quoted verbatim from Epigallocatechin-3-gallate increases maximal oxygen uptake in adult humans.. - Study
- crossover
- Duration
- 2 days
- Dose
- Teavigo EGCG 135 mg per capsule, one capsule with each meal for 48 h before testing, final capsule 2 h before exercise test
- Population
- Healthy adult males and females, randomized double-blind repeated-measures design with each participant tested on placebo and EGCG; VO2max by breath-by-breath indirect calorimetry during incremental stationary cycle ergometer exercise to volitional fatigue
Epigallocatechin-3-gallate increases maximal oxygen uptake in adult humans.2010PMID:19952844Permalink
magnesium(2+) — decreases
Very limitedEvidence strength: very limited. Human evidence with major recorded weaknesses, or non-human, uncontrolled or unverified evidence.Finding“Compared with the placebo, the VO2max was lower ( p = 0.005) after magnesium supplementation in 11/15 participants (mean decrease: 3.1 ± 3.6 mL/kg/min).”
Quoted verbatim from Short-Term Magnesium Supplementation Has Modest Detrimental Effects on Cycle Ergometer Exercise Performance and Skeletal Muscle Mitochondria and Negligible Effects on the Gut Microbiota: A Randomized Crossover Clinical Trial.. - Study
- crossover
- Participants
- 15
- Duration
- 9 days
- Dose
- magnesium chloride 300 mg (ReMag) twice per day for 9 days
- Population
- Healthy regularly exercising adults aged 18-40 (8 male, 7 female); primary outcome; incremental cycle ergometer test to volitional fatigue with breath-by-breath indirect calorimetry
Short-Term Magnesium Supplementation Has Modest Detrimental Effects on Cycle Ergometer Exercise Performance and Skeletal Muscle Mitochondria and Negligible Effects on the Gut Microbiota: A Randomized Crossover Clinical Trial.2025PMID:40077784Industry fundedPermalink
nitrate — increases
Very limitedEvidence strength: very limited. Human evidence with major recorded weaknesses, or non-human, uncontrolled or unverified evidence.Finding“This improvement in exercise performance was accompanied by a moderate, but potentially clinically-significant (see Discussion), increase in VO2peak, expressed in either L/min (P<0.05; Table 3) or in mL.min-1.kg-1 (P < 0.05; Fig. 4, bottom panel).”
Quoted verbatim from Dietary Nitrate Increases VO2peak and Performance but Does Not Alter Ventilation or Efficiency in Patients With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction.. - Study
- crossover
- Dose
- 140 mL concentrated beetroot juice, 11.2 mmol nitrate, single dose, tested 2 h post-ingestion
- Population
- 8 patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), acute single dose, maximal incremental cycle ergometer test
Dietary Nitrate Increases VO2peak and Performance but Does Not Alter Ventilation or Efficiency in Patients With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction.2018PMID:28916479Permalink
Measured, no effect detected
5 findings
coenzyme Q10 — no detected effect on
ModerateEvidence strength: moderate. Human evidence with one recorded weakness, or capped at moderate by its design or by unread numbers.FindingNull result“Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and VO2 peak were not significantly different with NR and CoQ10 supplementation, with means of 21.38 ± 4.93 mL/min/kg (P = 0.36) and 21.41 ± 4.74 (P = 0.33), respectively and Table 2).”
Quoted verbatim from Randomized crossover clinical trial of coenzyme Q10 and nicotinamide riboside in chronic kidney disease.. - Study
- RCT
- Duration
- 6 weeks
- Dose
- 1200 mg/day
- Population
- adults with chronic kidney disease, eGFR under 60 mL/min/1.73m2
Randomized crossover clinical trial of coenzyme Q10 and nicotinamide riboside in chronic kidney disease.2023PMID:37159264Permalink
astaxanthin — no detected effect on
ModerateEvidence strength: moderate. Human evidence with one recorded weakness, or capped at moderate by its design or by unread numbers.FindingNull result“The pooled effect indicated no significant improvement in VO2max with astaxanthin supplementation compared with control (SMD = −0.14, 95% CI: −0.78 to 0.50), and heterogeneity was considerable (I2 = 83.1%).”
Quoted verbatim from The Effects of Astaxanthin Supplementation on Exercise Recovery Biomarkers and Exercise Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.. - Study
- meta-analysis
- Population
- healthy adults and athletes; meta-analysis pooling 9 RCT comparisons
Effect -0.14 standardised mean difference, 95% CI -0.78 to 0.5
The Effects of Astaxanthin Supplementation on Exercise Recovery Biomarkers and Exercise Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.2026PMID:42197030Industry fundedPermalink
nitrate — no detected effect on
ModerateEvidence strength: moderate. Human evidence with one recorded weakness, or capped at moderate by its design or by unread numbers.FindingNull result“Nitrate supplementation decreased VO2 (MD - 0.04 L/min, P < 0.00001) but had no significant effect on VO2max or blood lactate levels.”
Quoted verbatim from The effects of dietary nitrate supplementation on endurance exercise performance and cardiorespiratory measures in healthy adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.. - Study
- meta-analysis
- Population
- adults engaging in endurance-based activity
The effects of dietary nitrate supplementation on endurance exercise performance and cardiorespiratory measures in healthy adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.2021PMID:34243756An author is affiliated with a producerPermalink
creatine — no detected effect on
ModerateEvidence strength: moderate. Human evidence with one recorded weakness, or capped at moderate by its design or by unread numbers.FindingNull result“No significant effect on VO2max was observed following supplementation (placebo: 60.7 ± 7.8 to 61.9 ± 8.0 mL·kg−1·min−1; Cr: 61.0 ± 4.1 to 60.4 ± 3.8 mL·kg−1·min−1).”
Quoted verbatim from Effects of Oral Creatine Supplementation on Power Output during Repeated Treadmill Sprinting.. - Study
- RCT
- Participants
- 8
- Duration
- 5 days
- Dose
- creatine monohydrate 75 mg/kg + 1 g glucose, 4 doses/day for 5 days (~22.3 ± 1.8 g Cr/day)
- Population
- recreationally active male university students, aged 19-30 years
Effects of Oral Creatine Supplementation on Power Output during Repeated Treadmill Sprinting.2022PMID:35334797Permalink
caffeine — no detected effect on
Very limitedEvidence strength: very limited. Human evidence with major recorded weaknesses, or non-human, uncontrolled or unverified evidence.FindingNull result“VO2MAX did not change significantly between MITs; however, CAF and PLA increased time to exhaustion (↑ ∼18.7% and ∼17.1%, respectively; p < .05) and WPEAK (↑ ∼13.0% and ∼11.8%, respectively; p < .05) when compared with control.”
Quoted verbatim from Caffeine effects on VO2max test outcomes investigated by a placebo perceived-as-caffeine design.. - Study
- crossover
- Population
- healthy individuals
Caffeine effects on VO2max test outcomes investigated by a placebo perceived-as-caffeine design.2017PMID:29214920Permalink
How it is measured
Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max, VO2 peak) by breath-by-breath indirect calorimetry during an incremental exercise test to volitional exhaustion. Modality and ramp protocol recorded with each finding.
Sources cited
10 papers
- Subject
- maximal oxygen uptake
- Findings
- 10
- Papers
- 10
The Effects of Astaxanthin Supplementation on Exercise Recovery Biomarkers and Exercise Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.record2026PMID:421970301 finding
Short-Term Magnesium Supplementation Has Modest Detrimental Effects on Cycle Ergometer Exercise Performance and Skeletal Muscle Mitochondria and Negligible Effects on the Gut Microbiota: A Randomized Crossover Clinical Trial.record2025PMID:400777841 finding
The Effect of Short-Term Rhodiola rosea Supplementation on Simulated Game Time, Perceived Fatigue, and Performance in Basketball Players.record2025PMID:413739841 finding
Randomized crossover clinical trial of coenzyme Q10 and nicotinamide riboside in chronic kidney disease.record2023PMID:371592641 finding
Effects of Oral Creatine Supplementation on Power Output during Repeated Treadmill Sprinting.record2022PMID:353347971 finding
The effect of L-arginine supplementation on maximal oxygen uptake: A systematic review and meta-analysis.record2021PMID:335873271 finding
The effects of dietary nitrate supplementation on endurance exercise performance and cardiorespiratory measures in healthy adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.record2021PMID:342437561 finding
Dietary Nitrate Increases VO2peak and Performance but Does Not Alter Ventilation or Efficiency in Patients With Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction.record2018PMID:289164791 finding
Caffeine effects on VO2max test outcomes investigated by a placebo perceived-as-caffeine design.record2017PMID:292149201 finding
Epigallocatechin-3-gallate increases maximal oxygen uptake in adult humans.record2010PMID:199528441 finding