FoundMyFitness Clips@foundmyfitnessclipsYouTube

Scientists Discovered the Best Type of Exercise for Increasing VO2 Max (it's not zone 2)

what it claims

To raise VO2 max, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is more effective than moderate continuous cardio for an equivalent program volume.

holds up

A meta-analysis of 13 controlled trials (Milanovic et al., 2015) directly confirms this: HIIT raised VO2 max by about 4.9 mL/kg/min versus 1.9 for moderate continuous training…

noli's read

A meta-analysis of 13 controlled trials (Milanovic et al., 2015) directly confirms this: HIIT raised VO2 max by about 4.9 mL/kg/min versus 1.9 for moderate continuous training over comparable program lengths — roughly two to three times more. Since VO2 max is one of the most robust mortality markers there is (the fittest people show several-times lower death risk in large cohorts), the case for developing it efficiently is well founded. HIIT isn't without caveats, though: 'one minute is enough' protocols vary widely between studies, and the extra benefits sometimes claimed (cognition, bone density) are far less solid than the VO2 max gain itself and shouldn't be oversold. The video's rhetorical framing ('sedentary behavior should be considered...') is the creator's own phrasing, not a clinical fact to repeat as-is — the factual content on HIIT and VO2 max itself holds up well.

the sources

Claimed by FoundMyFitness Clips. Noli grades the claim, never the person.

Decoded by Noli · August 3, 2026 · the original post

What the graded evidence says

Evidence: B

Effect: VO2max change, HIIT vs moderate continuous training — HIIT +4.9 mL/kg/min vs +1.9 mL/kg/min for continuous training (13 controlled trials)
Measured on: healthy to moderately fit adults

The robust benefit is for cardiorespiratory fitness. Claims that a fixed tiny dose (e.g. one minute) uniquely improves cognition or bone health go beyond what the fitness meta-analysis shows.

FoundMyFitness Clips in the Register3 claims gradedSee their record →