VO2 Max Calculator
Choose a method and enter your numbers. The page shows VO2 max in ml/kg/min and in METs.
This is an estimate for general information and is not medical advice. Only try a 12-minute maximum run if you are used to running hard and your GP has no concerns.
Worked examples
Cooper test
2,400 metres in 12 minutes
VO2 max 42.4 ml/kg/min (12.1 METs)
(2400 - 504.9) / 44.73.
Heart rate method
Maximum 190, resting 60
VO2 max 48.5 ml/kg/min
15.3 x 190 / 60.
About VO2 Max Calculator
VO2 max is the most oxygen your body can use in a minute of hard exercise, shown in millilitres of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute. It is a standard way to describe aerobic fitness. Measuring it properly needs a lab, but there are field estimates that need only a stopwatch or a pulse. This calculator uses two of them.
In the Cooper test, published by Kenneth Cooper in 1968, you run as far as you can in 12 minutes. VO2 max is then the distance in metres minus 504.9, divided by 44.73, so 2,400 metres gives 42.4. The second method, from Uth and colleagues (2004), multiplies 15.3 by your maximum heart rate divided by your resting heart rate. Both are rough, and this is an estimate and not medical advice.
How to use VO2 Max Calculator
- Choose the Cooper run or the resting heart rate method.
- For Cooper, enter the distance you covered in 12 minutes and pick the unit.
- For the heart rate method, enter your resting heart rate and either your age or your measured maximum.
- Read VO2 max in ml/kg/min and in METs.
Common uses
- Setting a fitness baseline before a training plan
- Re-testing after a few months of running
- Comparing a watch estimate with a field test
- Seeing your fitness in METs for the calories burned calculator
Frequently asked questions
What is a good VO2 max?
It depends on age and sex, and higher is generally fitter. Many adults sit between about 30 and 45 ml/kg/min, and trained endurance athletes can be above 60. Compare your own results over time rather than against others.
How do I do the Cooper test?
After a warm up, run or run and walk as far as you can in 12 minutes on a flat track or measured route. Note the distance. It is a hard effort, so only do it if you are used to running and have no health concerns.
How accurate are these estimates?
Field tests can be several points away from a lab measurement. The heart rate method is especially rough, because it relies on an estimate of maximum heart rate if you have not measured it.
What is a MET?
A MET is a unit of energy use where 1 MET is about 3.5 ml/kg/min of oxygen, the rate at rest. A VO2 max of 42 is about 12 METs. It links fitness to the calories burned calculator.
Should I test myself?
Speak to your GP before maximal tests if you have a health condition, are new to exercise or take medicine. This is an estimate and not medical advice.