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VO2 max calculator

An estimate of VO2 max from the resting heart rate, with no effort at all, and where that number sits for your age and sex. The full VO2 max chart by age is just below the calculator.

This is an example. Enter your own numbers to see your result.

Level for your age and sex: Good
Estimated max heart rate (Tanaka): 184 bpm

This method asks for no effort, so it is also the least precise one. It was built on trained men. For a client who already runs, the Cooper test or the beep test gives a better number.

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VO2 max chart by age

The seven fitness levels for each age group, in ml/kg/min, for men and for women. These values come from 62 studies where VO2 max was measured in a laboratory, on healthy adults.

Men

Age	Very low	Low	Fair	Moderate	Good	Very good	Elite
20 to 24	under 32	32 to 37	38 to 43	44 to 50	51 to 56	57 to 62	over 62
25 to 29	under 31	31 to 35	36 to 42	43 to 48	49 to 53	54 to 59	over 59
30 to 34	under 29	29 to 34	35 to 40	41 to 45	46 to 51	52 to 56	over 56
35 to 39	under 28	28 to 32	33 to 38	39 to 43	44 to 48	49 to 54	over 54
40 to 44	under 26	26 to 31	32 to 35	36 to 41	42 to 46	47 to 51	over 51
45 to 49	under 25	25 to 29	30 to 34	35 to 39	40 to 43	44 to 48	over 48
50 to 54	under 24	24 to 27	28 to 32	33 to 36	37 to 41	42 to 46	over 46
55 to 59	under 22	22 to 26	27 to 30	31 to 34	35 to 39	40 to 43	over 43
60 to 65	under 21	21 to 24	25 to 28	29 to 32	33 to 36	37 to 40	over 40

Women

Age	Very low	Low	Fair	Moderate	Good	Very good	Elite
20 to 24	under 27	27 to 31	32 to 36	37 to 41	42 to 46	47 to 51	over 51
25 to 29	under 26	26 to 30	31 to 35	36 to 40	41 to 44	45 to 49	over 49
30 to 34	under 25	25 to 29	30 to 33	34 to 37	38 to 42	43 to 46	over 46
35 to 39	under 24	24 to 27	28 to 31	32 to 35	36 to 40	41 to 44	over 44
40 to 44	under 22	22 to 25	26 to 29	30 to 33	34 to 37	38 to 41	over 41
45 to 49	under 21	21 to 23	24 to 27	28 to 31	32 to 35	36 to 38	over 38
50 to 54	under 19	19 to 22	23 to 25	26 to 29	30 to 32	33 to 36	over 36
55 to 59	under 18	18 to 20	21 to 23	24 to 27	28 to 30	31 to 33	over 33
60 to 65	under 16	16 to 18	19 to 21	22 to 24	25 to 27	28 to 30	over 30

Source: Shvartz E., Reibold R. C., Aerobic fitness norms for males and females aged 6 to 75 years: a review. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, 1990, volume 61, pages 3 to 11.

How the calculation works

The Uth formula

VO2 max equals 15.3 times the maximum heart rate, divided by the resting heart rate. Uth, Sørensen, Overgaard and Pedersen published it in 2004.

The maximum heart rate

Few people have measured theirs, so the calculator uses the Tanaka formula: 208 minus 0.7 times age. If a client's real maximum is far from this estimate, their real VO2 max is too.

How to measure resting heart rate

In the morning, lying down, before getting up. Count the beats for one full minute, or read a watch, and keep the average of three mornings.

The level

Seven levels, from very low to elite, by age group and sex, from the review by Shvartz and Reibold published in 1990. The full table is above.

Common questions

What is a good VO2 max?

It depends on age and sex. For a man aged 30 to 34, 46 to 51 is good and over 56 is elite. For a woman of the same age, 38 to 42 is good and over 46 is elite. The chart gives every age group.

Which test should I use with a client?

This one for a beginner, because it asks for no effort. The Cooper test or the beep test for someone who already trains, because a real effort gives a better estimate. Always repeat the same test to compare.

How can a client improve their VO2 max?

With regular endurance work and some hard intervals close to maximum effort. Beginners progress fastest. Measure again after a few months, with the same test, to see the trend.

Why does VO2 max drop with age?

Maximum heart rate drops with age, so the heart pumps less blood at full effort. Regular training slows this down, which is why the chart only compares a person with people of the same age.