Health & Fitness
VO2 Max Calculator
Estimate your VO2 max — the headline measure of aerobic fitness — from your age and resting heart rate, and see how your number rates.
years
bpm
Measure first thing in the morning, before getting up.
Estimated VO2 max
48.5
ml/kg/min
Good fitness
General VO2 max ratings (adults)
How to use the VO2 max calculator
Enter your age and your resting heart rate — ideally measured first thing in the morning. The calculator estimates your VO2 max from the ratio of your maximum to resting heart rate and gives a general fitness rating. A lower resting heart rate, which comes with fitness, produces a higher estimate.
The formula
VO2 max = 15.3 × (max HR ÷ resting HR)
max HR = 220 − age
Example. At age 30 (max HR 190) with a resting heart rate of 60, VO2 max is 15.3 × (190 ÷ 60) = about 48.5 ml/kg/min — a good level of aerobic fitness.
Frequently asked questions
VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during intense exercise, measured in millilitres of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute (ml/kg/min). It is the gold-standard measure of aerobic, or cardiovascular, fitness — the higher, the fitter.