VO2max Calculator

Developed by Dr Kenneth Cooper in 1968, the 12-minute run-walk test estimates VO2max from the distance covered in 12 minutes of maximum effort. It correlates strongly with lab-measured VO2max and is the most accessible field test available.

For a 30-year-old male, 50+ ml/kg/min is "excellent" and 55+ is "superior". For a 30-year-old female, the bands are roughly 40+ and 45+. VO2max declines about 10% per decade after age 25 without specific training.

Run or walk as far as you can in exactly 12 minutes (the Cooper test), enter the distance above, and the calculator estimates your VO2 max in ml/kg/min. It is the simplest way to estimate VO2 max without a lab treadmill and mask.

Enter your age and sex and the calculator returns your VO2 max alongside the age-and-sex norm, so you can see whether you sit in the poor, fair, good, excellent or superior band and what your "fitness age" is versus your real age.

VO2max is the single strongest predictor of all-cause mortality identified in long-running cohort studies (Mandsager 2018, Cleveland Clinic). The mortality hazard difference between low-fit and elite-fit is larger than the difference between smokers and non-smokers.