Calculator
VO2 Max Calculator
Quick answer
Two estimates. Cooper: (distance in metres − 504.9) / 44.73. That is the standard conversion paired with the 12-minute run Cooper described in JAMA in 1968.
Heart-rate ratio: 15.3 × (max heart rate / resting heart rate), from Uth and colleagues, 2004. They studied well-trained men. It is not a general medical test.
Need a 1RM first? Use the one rep max calculator →
Estimates only. Testing a true max carries risk; use a spotter or safety arms. Not medical advice.
Cooper 12-minute
Heart-rate ratio (Uth): 48.5 ml/kg/min. That equation was checked in well-trained men.
On this page
How does the VO2 max calculator work?
The Cooper number wants the metres you covered in twelve minutes. A track is the least messy place to get that. Treadmill distance is fine if the machine's distance is honest.
The ratio method wants a max heart rate and a resting heart rate. A measured max is better than 220 − age. The 2004 paper's own check got worse when an age prediction replaced a measured max.
What inputs does it need?
For Cooper, distance in metres. For the ratio, two heart rates in beats per minute. You can fill one and leave the other blank.
Neither input is a lab gas measurement. If you have a real lab VO2, you do not need this page.
Worked example with sample numbers
Example only: 2,400 metres in twelve minutes. (2400 − 504.9) / 44.73 is about 42.4 ml/kg/min.
Example only: max heart rate 190, resting 60. 15.3 × (190 / 60) is about 48.5. The two methods will not match. They are different estimates. Do not average them and call it your VO2.
Common mistakes
Using a heart-rate max from 220 − age and expecting the Uth equation's smaller error. The paper reported a larger error when the max was predicted.
Sprinting the first lap of a Cooper test and walking the last. The equation wants the distance, but the test assumes you ran the twelve minutes as evenly as you could.
FAQ
What is VO2 max?
The highest rate you take up oxygen during hard exercise, usually written in millilitres per kilogram per minute. A lab measures it. These are field estimates.
Is the Cooper equation in the 1968 paper?
The paper reports the 12-minute test and a high correlation with treadmill VO2. The regression used on this page is the standard field conversion associated with that test.
Who is the heart-rate ratio for?
Uth and colleagues concluded it may estimate VO2max in well-trained men. That is a narrower claim than 'everyone'.
Can lifters use this?
You can run the test. A squat max will not appear in the result. Conditioning and a one-rep max are different jobs.
Should I take this as a diagnosis?
No. It is arithmetic on a field test. Talk to a clinician if you have symptoms or a reason to be tested properly.