Vertical Ascent in Meters (VAM)

VAM is the number of vertical meters you climb per hour.

VAM comes from Italian cycling coach Michele Ferrari, and the acronym is comprised of the words Velocità Ascensionale Media. Think of this metric as a vertical version of speed. It's measured in vertical meters per hour (vmh), as opposed to miles or kilometers per hour.

VAM data is useful to monitor during a workout, and also afterward in post-workout analysis — especially when comparing workouts. During rides, you can develop an understanding of your average VAM on specific climbs. When you return to these climbs, you can work to outdo your previous performance by riding at a higher VAM. In post-workout analysis, you can compare your performace with other metrics like power and heartrate, compare identical climbs or climbs of a similar grade, and also see if other factors were an influence, such as the weather.

Find it in SportTracks

If you tracked a workout with GPS, you can access VAM data in the main chart of the Workout Detail page: