What Are the Best Supplements for Increasing VO₂ Max?

What Is VO₂ Max and Why Does It Matter for Longevity?

VO₂ max — the maximum rate at which your body can consume oxygen during intense exercise — is one of the strongest predictors of both athletic performance and long-term health. Higher VO₂ max is consistently associated with reduced all-cause mortality, lower cardiovascular risk, and better functional capacity as we age. In fact, it is one of the most clinically meaningful fitness biomarkers in longevity research.

Improving VO₂ max primarily requires progressive aerobic exercise, particularly high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and zone 2 cardio. However, certain supplements may support the physiological adaptations that drive these improvements — particularly by enhancing oxygen delivery, reducing fatigue, or improving mitochondrial efficiency. Understanding which supplements have genuine evidence behind them, and what their limitations are, helps avoid wasted effort and money on interventions that underdeliver.

For a broader view of how aerobic fitness fits into a longevity plan, see our guide to the most evidence-based longevity blueprint.

Can Supplements Actually Increase VO₂ Max?

The honest answer is: modestly, and only in certain populations. No supplement produces the VO₂ max gains that consistent endurance training does. However, some compounds have meaningful mechanistic and clinical support for improving oxygen utilisation, buffering fatigue, or enhancing training output — all of which can indirectly support VO₂ max over time.

The evidence is strongest in recreational and sub-elite athletes. In highly trained individuals, the effect sizes tend to be smaller, likely because their physiology is already well-adapted. That said, even small improvements in aerobic capacity can have meaningful implications for healthspan and functional ageing.

The Best Supplements for Increasing VO₂ Max

Dietary Nitrates (Beetroot Extract)

Dietary nitrates have the strongest evidence among supplements for supporting VO₂ max and aerobic performance. When consumed, nitrates are converted to nitric oxide in the body, which promotes vasodilation — widening blood vessels to improve oxygen and nutrient delivery to working muscles. This mechanism also reduces the oxygen cost of exercise, meaning the body can perform more work at a given oxygen consumption.

Multiple well-designed studies show that nitrate supplementation — typically from beetroot juice or concentrated beetroot extract — can improve time trial performance, reduce the oxygen cost of submaximal exercise, and support measurable gains in VO₂ max, particularly in recreational exercisers. Effects are most pronounced when taken consistently over several days rather than as a one-off dose. As a practical starting point, research commonly uses doses equivalent to around 400–500mg of inorganic nitrate, though individual responses vary.

Beta-Alanine

Beta-alanine works differently. It does not directly increase oxygen delivery, but instead raises muscle carnosine levels, which helps buffer the build-up of hydrogen ions during high-intensity exercise. In practice, this delays the onset of fatigue — allowing athletes to sustain harder efforts for longer.

While beta-alanine does not raise VO₂ max directly, it can increase the quality and duration of high-intensity training sessions. Over time, this may contribute to greater aerobic adaptations. The evidence for performance improvements is most consistent in exercise lasting 1–4 minutes. A common side effect is paresthesia — a harmless tingling sensation — which can be reduced by splitting doses throughout the day. Evidence in well-trained athletes is less clear-cut, and human studies on VO₂ max specifically show mixed results.

Adaptogens: Rhodiola Rosea and Ashwagandha

Adaptogenic herbs such as Rhodiola rosea and ashwagandha are often cited in the context of endurance and aerobic capacity. The evidence here is more limited. Rhodiola rosea has some clinical support for reducing perceived exertion and improving endurance in recreational exercisers, possibly through effects on energy metabolism and stress hormone modulation. Ashwagandha has shown modest improvements in VO₂ max in a small number of studies, though the overall body of evidence remains limited and human trials are not fully consistent.

These supplements are unlikely to produce large direct improvements in VO₂ max. However, by supporting recovery, reducing exercise-induced fatigue, and helping maintain training consistency, they may contribute indirectly to aerobic capacity improvements over a training block. They are best viewed as recovery support tools rather than primary performance enhancers.

Learn more in our complete guide to longevity at longevityinsights.co.uk/what-is-longevity/.

How to Use These Supplements Alongside Training

Supplements for VO₂ max work best as complements to structured aerobic training — not as standalone interventions. The most practical approach is to build a consistent training programme first, then consider whether targeted supplements are appropriate.

For dietary nitrates, consuming beetroot extract or juice approximately 2–3 hours before training appears to optimise peak nitric oxide availability. For beta-alanine, daily dosing (typically 3.2–6.4g split across the day) helps build muscle carnosine levels steadily over several weeks. Adaptogens are generally taken daily rather than acutely, with effects building gradually over several weeks of consistent use.

Importantly, tracking objective performance markers — such as pace at a given heart rate, or time-to-exhaustion in interval sessions — is the most reliable way to assess whether any supplement is making a meaningful difference. In the context of longevity, these supplements are most relevant for individuals who are already prioritising aerobic exercise as a core health behaviour. For those just starting out, the training itself matters far more than supplementation.

For guidance on where supplements fit within a broader longevity strategy, see our article on the best supplements for healthy aging overall.

Frequently Asked Questions

References and Resources

The following sources informed this article on the best supplements for increasing VO₂ max. For related reading, see also our article on the best supplements for reducing inflammation.

Conclusion

Among the supplements currently supported by evidence, dietary nitrates stand out as the most reliably effective option for increasing VO₂ max, particularly in recreational exercisers. Beta-alanine offers meaningful support for high-intensity endurance, though its effect on VO₂ max specifically is indirect. Adaptogens such as Rhodiola rosea may help maintain training consistency and recovery, but evidence for direct VO₂ max improvements remains limited. Overall, these supplements work best as additions to a structured training programme — not as replacements for it. In the context of longevity, improving VO₂ max through exercise remains one of the highest-value health behaviours available, and targeted supplementation can offer a modest supporting role for those already committed to that process.