Calculator Uni

VO2 Max Calculator

Estimate aerobic fitness from the 12-minute Cooper run test.

Cooper 12-minute test
m
yrs

Estimated VO₂ max

42.4 ml/kg/min

Good for adults ~30

Elite endurance range

70–85 ml/kg/min

Distance run

2.4 km

The engine-size number

VO₂ max — the most oxygen your body can use per minute per kilogram — is endurance capacity in one figure. The Cooper test estimates it from an all-out 12-minute run: (meters − 504.9) ÷ 44.73. Watches estimate the same figure from heart-rate-vs-pace data.

It's trainable and it matters

VO₂ max declines ~10% per decade untrained but responds strongly to interval work layered over an aerobic base. Large cohort studies rank low cardio fitness with smoking as a mortality risk — moving from 'below average' to 'good' is among the highest-value health changes available.

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