VO2 max is a measure of the maximum amount of oxygen your body can utilize during intense exercise. It’s an essential component of peak aerobic fitness and optimal metabolic health.
The higher your VO2 max, the more efficiently your cardiovascular and respiratory systems deliver oxygen to your muscles. A high VO2 max is also associated with greater health and lifespan outcomes.
Any form of aerobic exercise—such as walking, cycling, or swimming—will increase your VO2 max somewhat, but high-intensity workouts are the most effective.
Try to complete a high-intensity workout that reaches 80-90% of your max heart rate. Complete 3-4 intervals, each four minutes long, with a 3-4 minute recovery in between. You can run, bike, or use a treadmill, elliptical, or rowing machine. The tool you use doesn’t matter nearly as much as the intensity and duration.
Decreasing body weight can increase VO2 max, but losing weight does not always increase endurance. The calculation for VO2 max accounts for body mass in the denominator. A decreased body weight will result in a higher VO2 max value, which doesn’t necessarily indicate improved aerobic fitness.
It’s important to distinguish between an increase in VO2 max due to training-related progress and an artificially inflated VO2 max from weight loss alone.
The best way to track your VO2 progress is to get your levels tested a few times a year. This will give you an accurate baseline to see how new training protocols impact your performance over time.
You can get your VO2 max measured at sports testing clinics for a relatively low cost. During the test, you wear a mask while performing progressively challenging aerobic exercise on a bike or treadmill. Eventually, you cannot continue due to exhaustion, which means your body has reached its maximum ability to consume oxygen.
If you don’t have access to VO2 max testing, you can also perform the Cooper test, which approximates your VO2 max. The Cooper test involves running around a track for as many laps as possible in 12 minutes. You’ll record the distance you ran (in miles) and plug it into this formula: VO2max = (35.97 x miles) – 11.29.
If you ran 1.5 miles in 12 minutes, the equation would look like this: (35.97 x 1.5) – 11.29. Your VO2 max would be about 42.7.
You can also ballpark VO2 max improvements by tracking your progress with the aerobic exercise of your choice. If you train on an indoor exercise bike, track the distance you cover in a set amount of time. If you increase your distance in the same period after training for a while, you’ve likely improved your VO2 max.
Your VO2 max can range from poor to superior, and your ideal range changes as you age. The ranges are also different between males and females. See the VO2 max ranges categorized by age for men and women below:
Figure 1.) VO2 Max Categories by Age for Men
Age
20–29
30–39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
Superior
55.4
54
52.5
48.9
45.7
42.1
Excellent
51.1
48.3
46.4
43.4
39.5
36.7
Good
45.4
44
42.4
39.2
35.5
32.3
Fair
41.7
40.5
38.5
35.6
32.3
29.4
Poor
<41.7
<40.5
<38.5
<35.6
<32.3
<29.4
Figure 2.) VO2 Max Categories by Age for Women
Age
20–29
30–39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
Superior
49.6
47.4
45.3
41.1
37.8
36.7
Excellent
43.9
42.4
39.7
36.7
33
30.9
Good
39.5
37.8
36.3
33
30
28.1
Fair
36.1
34.4
33
30.1
27.5
25.9
Poor
<36.1
<34.4
<33
<30.1
<27.5
<25.9
The greater the intensity of exercise, the more oxygen your body requires to fuel the activity. This means a higher capability to utilize oxygen often corresponds with greater levels of fitness.
The units for VO2 max are millimeters/kilograms/minutes (mL/kg/min), which translates to the amount of oxygen consumed per minute relative to the person’s weight. A person with a VO2 max of 40 mL/kg/min can consume 40 milliliters of oxygen per minute for every kilogram of their body weight.
A VO2 max of about 14 mL/kg/min is required to complete most daily living tasks, such as chores and walking briskly. Running a 10-minute mile requires a VO2 max of about 35. Like most physiological parameters, VO2 max capacity decreases with age, beginning in your early 30s.
Increasing your VO2 max allows you to exert yourself at higher intensities without tiring as quickly, leading to improved performance in everyday activities and athletic endeavors. You’ll notice improvements in your ability to run, climb stairs, carry groceries, and do anything else aerobic.
Increasing your VO2 max also decreases your risk of death from all health causes. One study showed a 50% reduction in all-cause mortality just by increasing your VO2 max from ‘low’ to ‘below average.’ Even a slight improvement can offer significant risk reduction.
Increasing your VO2 max also decreases your blood pressure and blood sugar, both of which are essential components of metabolic health. Activities that increase VO2 max also improve your mental health and reduce the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress.
VO2 max measures the maximum amount of oxygen your body can utilize during intense exercise. A high VO2 max decreases your risk for major age-related diseases and enhances your ability to participate in athletic activities and everyday tasks.
Aerobic exercises, such as walking, biking, or swimming, can increase your VO2 max. You can track your progress by getting your levels tested, using the Cooper test, or monitoring improvements in distance.
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