VO2 Max Calculator
VO2 max is the most oxygen your body can use per kilogram of body weight each minute, and it is the single best field measure of aerobic fitness. A lab measures it directly from the gas you breathe; the four equations here estimate it from a timed run, a timed walk, or the ratio between your maximum and resting heart rate.
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Estimated VO2 max
42.4 ml/kg/min
Compared against
Men aged 30 to 39
Details
Updates as you typeEach test has its own published equation. Fill in the rows the chosen test uses.
The same test is run over 2.4 km outside the US; the two distances differ by 14 metres.
Take your pulse immediately as you stop walking.
A measured maximum if you have one. Otherwise 220 minus your age is the usual stand-in.
Measured lying down, before getting out of bed.
Used by the Rockport equation and by the fitness-category norms.
Summary
Good for your age and sexEstimated VO2 max
42.4 ml/kg/min
- Fitness category
- Good
- Compared against
- Men aged 30 to 39
- That category spans
- 41.0 to 45.0 ml/kg/min
- Aerobic capacity
- 12.1 METs
- Absolute oxygen uptake
- 3.18 L/min
- This is a field-test estimate, not a lab measurement. A true VO2 max comes from a graded exercise test with a metabolic cart measuring the gas you actually breathe; every equation here is a regression fitted to a group of people, and an individual can sit several ml/kg/min either side of it.
- The Cooper test asks for the furthest distance you can cover in a flat 12 minutes. Pacing matters: the regression was built on a maximal effort, so a cautious first half understates your result.
- Categories come from the Cooper Institute norms for men aged 30 to 39. The same number means different things at different ages, which is why the bar is scored against your own group rather than against one universal threshold.
How this is calculated
- Method
- Cooper 12-minute run
- Distance covered in 12 minutes
- 2,400 m
- Same distance
- 1.491 mi
- Distance minus 504.9
- 1,895.1 m
- Divided by 44.73
- 42.37 ml/kg/min
- Average speed over the 12 minutes
- 12.00 km/h
- Estimated VO2 max
- 42.4 ml/kg/min
Compare scenarios
See how one change moves the result
- CurrentYour inputs as they stand42.4 ml/kg/minCurrent
- Cooper test — distance in 12 minutesm 3,00055.8 ml/kg/min
For informational purposes only. This is not medical advice — consult a healthcare professional about your health.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good VO2 max?
It depends entirely on your age and sex, which is why this page reports a category rather than only a number. Using the Cooper Institute norms, a man aged 30 to 39 is average at roughly 35 to 41 ml/kg/min and superior above 49.5, while a woman of the same age is average at roughly 27 to 31.5 and superior above 41. Endurance athletes commonly measure 60 to 85.
How accurate is a field test compared with a lab measurement?
A field test is an estimate produced by a regression fitted to a group of people, so it carries that group's scatter. Cooper reported a correlation of 0.90 against treadmill testing and the Rockport equation reports a multiple R of 0.88, which in practice means an individual can sit several ml/kg/min either side of their true value. The estimates are far more useful for tracking your own change over time than for comparing yourself with someone else.
Which of these four tests should I use?
Pick the hardest one you can safely complete. The Cooper 12-minute run and the 1.5-mile run both need a maximal effort and give the closest estimates, so use one of those if you already run. The Rockport walk was designed for people who cannot run a maximal test and only asks for a fast walk. The heart rate ratio method needs no test at all, but was validated only on well-trained men aged 21 to 51, so treat it as a rough sanity check.
Why do the four methods disagree with each other?
Each was fitted to a different group of people doing a different task, so they carry different biases. For one consistently fit 30-year-old the four land within about 1.5 percent of each other here, but that agreement narrows as inputs get extreme: the Rockport equation drifts high for very fit walkers, and the heart rate ratio drifts high for anyone with an unusually low resting pulse for reasons other than fitness.
How do I raise my VO2 max?
The reliable route is a large base of easy aerobic training plus a small amount of hard interval work near your maximum. Untrained adults typically gain 15 to 20 percent over a few months of consistent training; trained athletes gain far less, because they are closer to a ceiling set largely by genetics and by how much blood the heart can pump per beat. VO2 max also falls by roughly 10 percent per decade after 30 unless training holds it up.
Do I need to be medically cleared before a maximal test?
The Cooper and 1.5-mile tests are all-out efforts. If you have a heart condition, chest pain, uncontrolled blood pressure, are pregnant, or have been inactive for a long time, speak to a doctor before doing one, and use the walk test or the heart rate ratio method in the meantime.