Cardiometabolic Health: How Balancing Your Energy Supports Mind and Body

Cardiorespiratory fitness is a critical indicator of overall health, reflecting how efficiently your heart, lungs, and muscles work together to generate and use energy during physical activity. Low cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with higher risk of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome, as well as increased mortality.

VO₂ Max: The Gold Standard of Cardiorespiratory Fitness

VO₂ Max is the most established measure of cardiorespiratory fitness. It represents the maximum rate at which your body can consume oxygen during intense exercise. Higher VO₂ Max values indicate greater aerobic capacity and endurance, while lower values may signal decreased cardiovascular efficiency. Population studies have repeatedly shown that VO₂ Max is strongly correlated with long-term health outcomes, disease risk, and longevity.

METs: Quantifying the Energy Cost of Activity

METs, or Metabolic Equivalents, are derived from VO₂ Max and provide a standardized measure of the energy cost of physical activities. One MET corresponds to the energy expended at rest. Activities, like sitting quietly, are around 1 to 1.5 METs, while brisk walking can reach 4 to 6 METs. Using METs allows researchers and fitness professionals to compare the relative intensity of different activities and understand their impact on metabolic demand.

Lactate as an Alternative Measure

There’s a new way to understand fitness: cardiometabolic fitness. Instead of relying only on oxygen consumption (VO₂ Max), this approach uses lactate as the primary biomarker. Now, the term “cardiometabolic fitness” is being used to distinguish it from traditional “cardiorespiratory fitness,” because it focuses on lactate—the key metabolic product—rather than oxygen. Lactate is produced during glucose metabolism (glycolysis), a process that does not require oxygen. By measuring lactate levels during exercise, a more complete picture emerges of how your body produces and uses energy under stress. This lactate-based assessment reflects both oxidative and glycolytic pathways, offering a more practical and comprehensive view of your metabolic health than VO₂ Max alone.

Putting It All Together

By measuring lactate directly, a clear and personalized picture of metabolic health and fitness is now available to everybody. This data helps members understand how their body manages stress and uses energy, guiding smarter training decisions, supporting fat-burning strategies, and tracking long-term health outcomes. It’s a science-based approach that brings exercise physiology out of the lab and into everyday life.