Polar Vantage M3
You want something smart but sporty, compact but powerful, stylish but strong. You want to train harder but recover faster; sleep better but explore more. You want pro-level sports tracking but everyday lifestyle features. You want a Polar Vantage M3: the multi-sport watch for multi-sport athletes.
Polar Grit X2 Pro Titan
Polar Grit X2 Pro Titan is a rough and rugged outdoor sports watch crafted for adventure with sapphire glass AMOLED display in titanium casing, and a hi-tech toolkit of navigation and performance features for exploring the wonders of the world, and the body.
Polar Grit X2 Pro
Polar Grit X2 Pro is a rough and rugged outdoor sports watch crafted for adventure with sapphire crystal glass AMOLED display, and a hi-tech toolkit of navigation and performance features for exploring the wonders of the world, and the body.
Polar Vantage V3
An ensemble of biosensing instruments, AMOLED display, dual-frequency GPS, maps, and the most comprehensive suite of training and recovery tools on the market. The stage is set, and the Polar Vantage V3 smart sports watch is ready to put in the performance of a lifetime.
Polar Ignite 3
Polar Ignite 3 is a stylish fitness & wellness watch that helps you live a more energized life. It tracks your sleep, activity, and heart rate to provide guidance that’s tailored to your body and lifestyle.
Polar Pacer Pro
Polar Pacer Pro is an ultra-light, new-generation sports watch with integrated barometer that equips athletes with advanced tools to improve running economy, training sessions, and sports performance.
Polar Pacer
Sport is play – why complicate it? Polar Pacer is a no-nonsense sports watch that gives new athletes all the essentials, plus the specialized training tools they need to train better.
Polar Vantage V2
A powerful convergence of minimalist design, innovative technology, and intelligent training and recovery tools makes the Polar Vantage V2 a formidable sports watch.
Polar Grit X Pro
Built for military-level durability with sapphire glass and ultra-long battery, equipping you with new navigation tools, always-on outdoor features and Polar's ultimate training solutions.
Polar Vantage M2
Designed for function, the Polar Vantage M2 works as hard as you do. Our industry-leading technology is here to help you reach your goals and come back stronger. For that athlete attitude.
Polar Ignite 2
A fitness watch that’s sleek, simple and smart? Polar Ignite 2 is a true triple threat. Versatile and full of great features, it’s the perfect companion for any sport and any lifestyle.
Polar Ignite
A waterproof fitness watch with advanced wrist-based heart rate and integrated GPS, Polar Ignite offers you a full view of your day and guides you towards a more balanced life.
Polar Unite
A beautifully simple watch with personalized daily workout guidance, 24/7 heart rate and activity tracking, plus automatic sleep and recovery applications.
Polar Vantage V
Polar Vantage M
An all-round multisport & running GPS watch for anyone who loves setting new records. Polar Vantage M is a slim, lightweight training companion that gives you all the data you need to improve your performance.
Polar Grit X
An outdoor multisport watch with rugged yet lightweight design, ultra-long battery life and military-standard durability for anyone who prefers the trails over the roads.
Polar M430
A GPS running watch with wrist-based heart rate, advanced running features and Polar Running Program, Polar M430 is a top-level watch for runners who want more.
Polar Verity Sense
When freedom of movement is important to you, Polar Verity Sense is your go-to choice for any sport.
Polar H10
Widely regarded as the gold standard in wireless heart rate monitoring, this is the most accurate sensor in Polar’s history.
Polar H9
A reliable, high-quality heart rate chest strap for all your everyday sports with Bluetooth® and ANT+ connectivity. Get connected and get going.
Polar OH1+
Polar OH1+ is an optical heart rate monitor that combines versatility, comfort and simplicity. You can use it both as a standalone device and pair it with various fitness apps, sports watches and smart watches, thanks to Bluetooth® and ANT+ connectivity.
Wristbands
Personalize any watch for any style and any need.
Straps
Replace or upgrade your Polar Sensor chest straps or arm bands.
Power & Cables
For charging your products and data transfer.
Mounts & Adapters
Adapt your product for any situation.
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Polar Grit X Outdoor Series
Made for outdoor sports and built to handle any environment nature can throw at you, Grit X watches are designed to help you explore the world and gear up for adventure.
Polar Vantage Performance Series
Our flagship series is tailored for high-performance and endurance sports and training. Every aspect of our Vantage watches are designed with one particular person in mind – the athlete.
Polar Pacer Multisport Series
The Pacer Series gives athletes all the essentials such as accurate GPS and precise heart rate tracking, plus the specialized training, sleep, and recovery tools they need to train better.
Polar Ignite Fitness & Wellness Series
Sleek, simple, and smart – Ignite watches are the perfect partner for any fitness goals and any lifestyle.
Who Really Invented VO2max?
Author(s): Eduardo Alonso
The concept of VO2max traces its roots back over 100 years to the dawn of sports science. At that time, research on physical performance was largely misunderstood and its practical applications were unclear. This didn’t stop some of the pioneers in sports science. In the early 1920s, British physiologist Archibald Vivian Hill, already a Nobel laureate, embarked on groundbreaking studies funded by Britain's Industrial Fatigue Research Board. Hill, an accomplished runner himself with a 4:45 mile PB, was naturally curious about athletic performance. Collaborating with Hartley Lupton, he ventured into unexplored territory, admitting their work was initially driven more by amusement than practical goals.
However, these experiments proved invaluable from the outset, though for reasons that extended far beyond athletics. Industrial leaders saw an opportunity: What better way to maximize worker productivity than by quantifying physical limits and exploring methods to push them further?
To conduct his experiment, Hill invited a group of people to his home in Manchester and had them run around his back garden with air bags strapped to their backs to measure their oxygen consumption.
Without modern equipment like treadmills, ECG, or heart rate monitors, measuring the body's oxygen uptake required some imagination. However, the method that Hill and Lupton used was not fundamentally different from today's approaches. To conduct his experiment, Hill invited a group of people to his home in Manchester and had them run around his back garden with air bags strapped to their backs to measure their oxygen consumption. The faster they ran, the more oxygen they required—up to a certain limit. Eventually, their oxygen use plateaued, even as their speed increased.
This plateau represents the maximum amount of oxygen the body can utilize per unit of time. Even though, Hill and Lupton didn’t use this term, that’s what we now know today as VO2max. Beyond this point, athletes must rely on anaerobic energy pathways, which cannot be sustained for long due to the buildup of lactic acid. In other words, the athlete reaches their limit. Hill concluded that this limit—VO2max—was a clear indicator of the boundaries of sustainable effort. His calculation became a measurable benchmark for endurance.
In 1923, Hill and Lupton published their findings in a paper titled "Muscular Exercise, Lactic Acid, and the Supply and Utilization of Oxygen," where they introduced the concept of maximum oxygen intake. Decades later, in the 1950s and 1960s, researchers like Per-Olof Åstrand in Sweden and Bengt Saltin in Denmark revisited the concept and the actual term VO2max came into use.
Polar Vantage V3
Premium Multisport Watch
An ensemble of biosensing instruments, AMOLED display, dual-frequency GPS, maps, and the most comprehensive suite of training and recovery tools on the market. The stage is set, and the Polar Vantage V3 smart sports watch is ready to put in the performance of a lifetime.
Polar Grit X2 Pro
Premium Outdoor Watch
Polar Grit X2 Pro is a rough and rugged outdoor sports watch crafted for adventure with sapphire crystal glass AMOLED display, and a hi-tech toolkit of navigation and performance features for exploring the wonders of the world, and the body.
How to measure VO2max
Today, the concept of VO2max is a popular way to measure our physical capacity, track our progress, and compare ourselves to others in the same gender and age group. Measuring VO2max is relatively straightforward. The standard method was originally a byproduct of the Minnesota Starvation Experiment conducted during World War II, an infamous study aimed to understand the physiological and psychological effects of severe and prolonged dietary restriction and the challenges of refeeding.
The VO2max test is typically performed on a treadmill or stationary bike and requires the subject to run or cycle until exhaustion. During the test, intensity gradually increases while a mask measures oxygen intake and carbon dioxide output, determining the maximum amount of oxygen the body can utilize during peak exertion. The limit is determined by various criteria, including when oxygen consumption or heart rate reaches a plateau, lactate levels exceed 8.0 mmol/L, or perceived exertion is greater than 17 on a scale of 6 to 20.
Each person's VO2 max is influenced by their natural capacity, but regular exercise can improve it. By boosting your VO2 max, you'll be able to run, cycle, or hike farther, faster, and with less effort. The most effective way to increase VO2 max is through high-intensity interval training (HIIT). This approach works because it pushes you to reach or briefly exceed your anaerobic threshold before easing back to a lower, aerobic intensity. This overload challenges your heart and lungs, prompting them to adapt to the increased demands and enhance your endurance. The biggest challenge for many is slowing the decline of VO2 max. After the age of 25, it typically decreases by about ten percent per decade.
A century after its introduction, the VO2max concept remains a popular and valid method for assessing cardiovascular fitness. Modern technology has embraced this metric, with wearable devices like sports watches now using algorithms to estimate VO2max and track our progress. This widespread adoption is a testament to the enduring significance of those pioneering studies conducted in the garden of A.V. Hill, whose rudimentary yet groundbreaking experiments laid the foundation for our understanding of human endurance.
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