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MasterMath

VO2 Max Calculator

Your estimated maximum oxygen uptake from a field test: the twelve-minute Cooper run, the mile and a half, your resting pulse, or the Rockport one-mile walk.

VO2 max

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VO2 max—
In METs—
Method used—
Equivalent Cooper distance—
Absolute consumption—
Equivalent to climbing—

How this was worked out

    Indicative result. The Cooper and mile-and-a-half tests are maximal efforts. If you have heart disease, risk factors, or have not trained in a while, check before attempting them.

    The formula

    Cooper: VO2 max = (metres − 504.9) / 44.73

    Where it comes from

    VO2 max is the oxygen your body can consume per minute and per kilo when it is at its limit, and it is the most direct measure of aerobic capacity there is. Measuring it properly takes a mask and a laboratory; field tests estimate it from something a stopwatch can measure, and each equation was fitted on one particular group of people, which is where its margin of error comes from.

    How to work it out by hand

    1. Pick the test you can do with what you have to hand
    2. Do it properly: an estimate from a half-hearted effort is worth nothing
    3. Note the distance, the time or the heart rate, depending on the method
    4. Apply the matching equation for millilitres per kilo per minute

    What is worth knowing

    None of these equations is a measurement: the margin against a laboratory test runs to ten or fifteen per cent. They are good for tracking one person over time with the same method, and much worse for comparing two people or two methods. The Cooper test means running flat out for twelve minutes, and doing that with no base is exactly the kind of effort worth checking first.

    Frequently asked questions

    Which method is most reliable?

    Cooper and the mile and a half, because they measure actual performance. The heart-rate one needs only two pulse readings, which is why it is the roughest.

    What VO2 max is good?

    It depends heavily on age and sex, and reference tables vary between sources. What is useful is comparing your figure with your own a few months later.

    What is a MET?

    The unit of resting expenditure: 3.5 ml of oxygen per kilo per minute. A VO2 max of 42 is 12 METs.

    Can I improve my VO2 max?

    Yes, quite a lot, especially from a low base. The trainable portion is around 15 to 20 %; the rest is genetics.

    Can I do the test on a treadmill?

    You can, but do not mix results: a treadmill and tarmac do not give the same figure. Always repeat with the same method.