Table 3.  VO2 values for kayaking compared to other sports.

Sport

Authors

VO2 max (absolute) (L·min-1)

VO2max (relative) (ml·kg-1·min-1)

Power and Velocity at VO2max *

Kayaking

Tesch, 1983

4.7

58.8

 

Hahn et al., 1988

4.62

58.5

 

Fry and Morton, 1991

4.78

58.9

 

Billat et al., 1996

4.01

53.8

239 W

Canoeing

Hahn et al., 1988

3.49

44.2

 

Bunc and Heller, 1991

4.17

51.9

 

Rowing
(heavy weight;
~ 85kg)

Di Prampero et al. 1971

5.0

58.8

 

Secher, 1990

6.0

68.2

 

Lakomy and Lakomy, 1993

4.8

60

 

Swimming
(400m)

Billat et al. 1996

4.41

59.6

1.46 m·s-1

Lavoie et al. 1981

4.31

58.4 (5.6)

 

Roels et al. 2005

5.6

58.4

 

Road Cycling

Billat et al. 1996

5.61

72.4

419 W

Lee et al. 2002

5.45

73.0

 

Lucia et al. 1999

5.10

74.0

 

Running
(up to 3000m)

Billat et al. 1996

5.11

74.9

6.22 m·s-1

Draper and Wood, 2005

5.0

68.9

 

Caputo and Denadai, 2004

6.3

68.8

 
 Note: all athletes studies were male and of professional and elite calibre.
* Power output and velocity at VO2 max obtained from Billat et al. (1999).