Johannes Høsflot Klæbo just cemented his legacy as one of the greatest winter athletes of all time. The Norwegian cross-country skier captured six gold medals at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, pushing his career total to 11 Olympic golds. That places him second only to Michael Phelps in all-time individual Olympic gold medals, a staggering achievement that raises an obvious question: what sets his fitness apart from everyone else?

The answer lies in one number: a VO2 max measurement around 85. For most people, that figure means nothing. But for anyone serious about understanding elite-level fitness, it’s a window into how far human aerobic capacity can be pushed.

Understanding VO2 Max and What It Means for Your Fitness

VO2 max measures the maximum amount of oxygen your body can utilize during intense exercise, expressed in milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute. It’s one of the most direct indicators of cardiovascular fitness and aerobic endurance. Klæbo’s measurement of 85 belongs in a category occupied by almost no one on Earth.

To put this in perspective, world-class soccer players competing in elite international tournaments typically measure in the 70s. That’s already far above average fitness. An adult male who maintains consistent training and decent cardiovascular health might reach into the 50s range. The gap between 50 and 85 represents years of specialized training, genetic predisposition, and relentless optimization of aerobic systems.

Klæbo’s extreme endurance capability didn’t develop by accident. His training philosophy emphasizes building exceptional aerobic capacity through sustained effort rather than chasing VO2 max numbers directly. This distinction matters for anyone thinking about their own fitness strategy. Zone 2 cardio is reshaping how we train, and elite athletes like Klæbo have long understood that building a massive aerobic engine requires long periods of work at moderate, sustainable intensities.

What Klæbo’s Success Reveals About Training Philosophy

cross-country ski training winter
Photo by Alex Lange

Interestingly, Klæbo himself doesn’t focus on VO2 max as a training target. His goal remains winning races, and VO2 max is simply a byproduct of the training methods that make him faster. He brought insights from his early soccer background into cross-country skiing, then adapted traditional Norwegian training approaches to suit his specific needs.

During summer months, when snow isn’t available, Klæbo shifts his training to maintain his aerobic base while simulating the demands of skiing. This illustrates a key principle for serious fitness enthusiasts: the best programs remain flexible and use available resources to maintain fitness through seasonal changes. Recovery also plays a central role in his approach, recognizing that adaptation happens during rest periods, not just during workouts.

For shoppers looking to upgrade their fitness regimen, Klæbo’s example suggests that investing in proper training methods and recovery tools may matter more than buying the flashiest equipment. Fitness competitions boom among those who apply these principles consistently, and the fundamentals remain unchanged: structured aerobic work, smart recovery, and consistency over months and years.

What High-Level Fitness Demands From Buyers

Klæbo’s achievements highlight why people interested in serious fitness improvements should prioritize certain purchases over others. Wearables that track heart rate, training zones, and recovery metrics provide valuable data for optimizing aerobic training. Comfortable, durable athletic shoes matter for daily training. Quality nutrition and hydration products support the consistent training load required to build exceptional fitness.

Building elite-level fitness isn’t realistic for most people, nor is it necessary to live a healthier, more energetic life. However, understanding the principles behind extreme athletic performance can guide smarter choices about your own training and equipment. Smart bunched long run training helps busy people fit fitness into their schedule, applying lessons from elite sports science to realistic daily life.

Klæbo’s VO2 max of 85 represents the pinnacle of what systematic, intelligent training can achieve. For the rest of us, the takeaway is simpler: build your aerobic base through consistent moderate-intensity work, invest in tools that support that training, and understand that fitness improvements take time but compound dramatically when you stay disciplined. That’s what separates casual exercisers from people who genuinely transform their fitness levels.