How is my metabolism getting worse?

[lazarus_come_forth]

I’m a 45 year old male. Started working on fitness again 4 months ago. I started at 257 lbs, 38% body fat. I am now at 236 lbs, 33.1% body fat.

During those 4 months, I have been doing resistance training three days per week, with noticeable and measurable strength improvements. Diet is strict. I measure everything and have not had a cheat meal or day. For cardio I do 30 minute sessions four days per week. Three days at zones 1 and 2. One day at zones 3 and 4. Not a single day has been missed

At the beginning of this journey, my measured vo2max was 24.1. At zone 1, I burned 40% fat and 60% carb. Recently, we took another assessment and my vo2max is at 22.9, burning 100% carb at zone 1.

Huh?

 

[sdem2]

@lazarus_come_forth For your cardio (1) is your pace improving? (2) do you feel less tired? (3) is your resting heart rate stable or decreasing?

Vo2 is a great measure of fitness, but it's not always consistent and it's not always assessed acurately. In general, people underestimate the value of very simple metrics like the above 3. In other words, don't get hung up on what is almost certaiinly a measurement error.

 

[lazarus_come_forth]

@sdem2 Yes to all three

 

[sdem2]

@lazarus_come_forth Awesome. You're getting fitter. 20 pounds in 4 months is also great progress, particularly when you're gaining strength at the same time. Forget about the Vo2 max measurements. Keep doind what you're doing, and good luck!

 

[lazarus_come_forth]

@sdem2 Thanks for the words of encouragement. It goes against my nature to ignore data, but I acknowledge that instruments and the person overseeing them can be flawed

 

[kowalski1]

@lazarus_come_forth How exactly did you measure VO2 max? Was this done on a treadmill with a respirator, while they measured your breathing, heart rate, and oxygen consumption? Or just something like a smartwatch and/or chart? Because I can tell you right now, there really isn't a proper way to measure VO2 outside of a lab setting.

The fact that you're able to run faster and longer, means that your VO2 max likely increased, not decreased.

 

[lazarus_come_forth]

@kowalski1 A heart monitor on my forearm and mask monitoring my breath