VO2 Max Calculator: Cooper 12-Minute Test or Resting Heart Rate
Estimate your aerobic fitness (VO2 max) from how far you can run in 12 minutes, or from your heart rate at rest.
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Estimated VO2 max
42.4ml/kg/min
- Peak capacity
- 12.1 MET
- Oxygen use at 70 kg
- 2.97 L/min
An estimate for general information, not medical advice.
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- VO2 max = (2400 − 504.9) ÷ 44.73 = 42.4
How to use
- Choose the Cooper 12-minute test or the heart-rate method.
- Enter the distance you covered, or your age and resting pulse.
- Read your estimated VO2 max in ml/kg/min.
Good to know
VO2 max is the most oxygen your body can use per minute, per kilo of body weight. It is a strong marker of heart and lung fitness.
Cooper test (1968): run as far as you can in 12 minutes on a flat track, then VO2 max = (metres − 504.9) ÷ 44.73. 2,400 m gives about 42.4. Heart-rate method (Uth et al., 2004): VO2 max = 15.3 × maximum HR ÷ resting HR. If you do not know your maximum, the Tanaka formula (208 − 0.7 × age) is used.
Both are estimates; lab tests on a treadmill with gas analysis are the only direct measure. The 12-minute run is an all-out effort, so warm up well and skip it if you have heart disease, chest pain or uncontrolled blood pressure.
Questions
What is a good VO2 max?
It depends on age and sex. Roughly, values in the 40s ml/kg/min are good for adults in their 30s, and values fall with age. Regular endurance training raises it.
How do I do the Cooper test?
Warm up, then run or run-walk as far as you can in exactly 12 minutes on a flat, measured track (a 400 m track makes counting easy). Note the total metres.
Is the heart-rate method accurate?
It is a rough estimate, usually within about 10–15% of lab values for healthy adults. It is less reliable if you take medicines that change heart rate.
What does MET mean here?
One MET is 3.5 ml/kg/min of oxygen, roughly your use at rest. VO2 max ÷ 3.5 gives your peak capacity in METs.
How can I improve my VO2 max?
Mix steady aerobic exercise with some harder intervals, three to five days a week. Improvements usually show within 6–12 weeks.