Huawei VO2max: how it works.
The watch estimates VO2Max during outdoor runs and brisk walks that meet speed or cadence rules. Huawei does not publish the method.
What counts towards your VO2max
Estimated from: Outdoor run, Walk. Not used: Treadmill.
What you need to do
Start Outdoor run, Outdoor walk or Track run on the watch, outdoors. Run: average speed above 7.2 km/h after a 10-min warm-up, changing by less than 1 km/h per minute. Walk: cadence of at least 100 steps/min for 2 km. Indoor modes give no VO2Max.
How it is shown
VO2Max in ml/kg/min on the watch (Workout status) and in Huawei Health under Me > My data > VO2Max, with history.
Related features
- Fitness age: not confirmed
- Race predictor: yes
- Running Ability Index (RAI)
- Predicted race times (from RAI, not VO2Max)
- Training load
- Training index
- Recovery time
How accurate is it?
| Study | Finding |
|---|---|
| Ye et al., JMIR mHealth uHealth, 2023 | HUAWEI WATCH GT Runner vs lab CPET (n=46, low and high altitude): slight overestimation, MAPE under 7%, mean absolute error under 2 mL/kg/min. |
Huawei support pages say VO2Max works on Huawei watches and bands but do not list models; the WATCH GT 4 series is named. Workouts started in the phone app without the watch give no VO2Max, and 'Sync personal info to cloud' must be on.
Frequently asked questions
How does Huawei calculate VO2max?
The watch estimates VO2Max during outdoor runs and brisk walks that meet speed or cadence rules. Huawei does not publish the method. Start Outdoor run, Outdoor walk or Track run on the watch, outdoors. Run: average speed above 7.2 km/h after a 10-min warm-up, changing by less than 1 km/h per minute. Walk: cadence of at least 100 steps/min for 2 km. Indoor modes give no VO2Max.
How accurate is Huawei VO2max?
1 published study has tested it: HUAWEI WATCH GT Runner vs lab CPET (n=46, low and high altitude): slight overestimation, MAPE under 7%, mean absolute error under 2 mL/kg/min.
Check your number against the norms for your age, estimate it with the VO2max calculator, or turn it into race times and paces.
Sources
- Huawei Support - VO2Max data does not display during outdoor workouts
- Huawei Support - Viewing your workout status on your HUAWEI watch/band
- Huawei Support - Huawei Health workout indicators
- Huawei Support - VO2Max values are the same during different workouts
- Huawei Support - Starting a workout on your HUAWEI watch
- Ye et al. 2023, full text (device and Firstbeat details)
Huawei is a trademark of its owner. VO2max Health is independent and not affiliated with Huawei. Features vary by model and firmware.