Mo Farah had to go through tough training to become the athlete he is today. Due to Mo’s type of events, (10,000 and 5,000 meters) he needs a high aerobic capacity and VO2 max. Aerobic capacity is how well the lungs, heart and the blood vessels work together, and VO2 Max is the maximum oxygen consumption attainable during maximal work.
VO2 max can only be improved in 10 – 20% of the population, with training. The training that is best suited to improving VO2 max is: Continuous Training which is about running at moderate to high intensity. Athletes who use continuous training will become aerobically fitter and will be able to train at a higher intensity for a longer time.
Another type of training that helps improve VO2 max is altitude training. When training at altitude, the amount off red blood cells is reduced and activity allows the body to cope with less oxygen for activity. When back at sea level, red blood cells become more efficient and are able to use oxygen more efficiently for exercise.
It is undoubted that Mo Farah has a high VO2 max. Ways to measure this is using the multi-stage fitness test. This is beep that is a set amount of seconds apart and as the levels increase the time between beeps decreases. The higher the level the athlete gets, the higher their VO2 max. People like Mo Farah will most likely beat the multi-stage fitness test due to their highly developed and efficient aerobic capacity. Another way to measure VO2 max is by using the PWC 170 test which is considered a more reliable test as it actually measures the VO2 max. The test consists of a mounted cycle with a heart rate monitor and breathing apparatus is used to measure your breathing and then give your VO2 max.
We can also assume that Mo Farah has a high count of type 1 and type 2 slow twitch fibers which have been strengthened with high aerobic training. Slow twitch fibers are