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Everything to Know About VO₂ Max

Medically reviewed by Danielle Hildreth, RN, CPT — By Tim Jewell — Updated on October 17, 2022VO₂ max refers to how much oxygen your body can absorb and use during exercise. If you’re looking to improve your aerobic fitness, you might consider maximizing your VO₂ max (sometimes called your oxygen uptake). Read on to learn more about what VO₂ max is, how it’s measured, and how you can increase your VO₂ max. Share on PinterestGetty Images

What is VO₂ max

VO₂ max is the maximum (max) rate (V) of oxygen (O₂) your body is able to use during exercise. Oxygen is a critical ingredient in the respiratory process that’s involved in breathing. As you breathe in oxygen, your lungs absorb and turn it into energy called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP powers your cells and helps release the carbon dioxide (CO₂) that’s created during your respiratory process when you exhale. The benefits are simple: The greater your VO₂ max, the more oxygen your body can consume, and the more effectively your body can use that oxygen to generate the maximum amount of ATP energy. This means that your body can better handle aerobic fitness activities that require a lot of oxygen intake like running, swimming, and other types of cardio.

Who should improve their VO₂ max

A high VO₂ max can be a good predictor of your athletic performance, especially if you’re a runner or a swimmer. Your VO₂ max amount can also act as a benchmark to track your progress as you improve your athletic abilities or if you’re trying to keep your VO₂ max at a certain level to maintain your performance. But while oxygen uptake is more frequently used for athletes, is not just for athletes. It is a way to determine cardiorespiratory fitness in anyone. Medical professionals can use it to determine your heart and lung health. Everyone — no matter their athletic ability — should try to increase their cardiorespiratory endurance. According to research, a higher VO₂ max is associated with a lower risk of death.

How is VO₂ max measured

Typically, VO₂ max tests are conducted in a medical facility like a lab or hospital by a doctor, cardiologist, or fitness specialist.

Submaximal exercise tests

Some personal trainers and fitness instructors may also have certifications that allow them to conduct VO₂ max tests. These tests may be called “submaximal” because they won’t necessarily give you the level of detail that a controlled laboratory test can give you. Submaximal exercise tests are still a useful way to measure your VO₂ max levels and your overall levels of heart and lung endurance during exercise. The type of VO₂ max test that’s best for you depends on your fitness level. Your doctor or instructor may have you do one of the following tests if you exercise regularly or are a trained athlete:Astrand treadmill test2.4 km run testmultistage bleep test You may do a simple walk/run test on a treadmill if you’re newer to exercise or have not exercised for some time. Other possible VO₂ max tests include: Cooper 1.5-mile walk-run testRockport 1-mile walk testtreadmill testcompare your best speed or time to average results from others for similar activities

How to determine VO₂ max METS

Want to get really geeky? Here’s the methodology for figuring out what your VO₂ max is as a figure called metabolic equivalents (METS). That’s the official term for how much energy your body uses when it’s resting. Basically, 1 MET equals about 3.5 milliliters (mL) of oxygen (O₂) divided by how much you weigh times a single minute. That looks like this: 1 MET = 3.5 mL O₂ / kilograms (kg) x minute.

What s considered a good VO₂ max

VO₂ max depends on a few key factors:agegenderfitness levelelevation, such as at sea level or in the mountains Some of these factors, like age and sex, are uncontrollable. But the majority of your oxygen uptake depends on your fitness level, which can be managed. There’s no one “good” VO₂ max that every single person should shoot for, but everyone should aim for a good or higher fitness score (60 and higher percentile). Here are some averages based on sex and age that you can use for reference. Typical VO₂ max for people born male measured in METS:Age20–2930–3940–4950–5960–6970–79Superior55.45452.548.945.742.1Excellent51.148.346.443.439.536.7Good45.44442.439.235.532.3Fair41.740.538.535.632.329.4Poor< 41.7< 40.5< 38.5< 35.6< 32.3< 29.4 Typical VO₂ max for people born female measured in METS:Age20–2930–3940–4950–5960–6970–79Superior49.647.445.341.137.836.7Excellent43.942.439.736.73330.9Good39.537.836.3333028.1Fair36.134.43330.127.525.9Poor< 36.1< 34.4< 33< 30.1< 27.5< 25.9

How can you increase your VO₂ max

As you get older, your VO₂ max typically declines. There’s plenty you can do to keep your VO₂ max levels at their highest for your age and desired fitness levels. A 2016 study found that even occasional intense workouts can help improve VO₂ max levels. Here are some suggestions:Perform high intensity interval training (HIIT): This consists of doing several minutes of intense aerobic exercises, like cycling on a stationary bike, reducing the intensity for a few minutes, and increasing the intensity again. Switch up aerobic activities in a single workout: Start with cycling, then swimming, then running, and so on. Rest in between each activity. Perform any cardio activity: While intensity is what improves VO₂ max levels the most, any cardio exercise that is not a stroll should improve cardiorespitory fitness and VO₂ max in sedentary people.

Why increase your VO₂ max

Based on research into the benefits of VO₂ max, the answer to this question seems pretty simple: It’ll help you live longer. No joke: A 2018 study in Frontiers in Biosciencefound that increasing your VO₂ max can improve the delivery and use of oxygen by your body, maintaining your health and physical fitness well into your later years. There are other daily benefits that you may start to notice within days or weeks of starting to improve your VO₂ max, such as:being less exhausted or winded doing activities like climbing stairs reducing your stress levelsboosting your immune system and getting sick less often

Takeaway

VO₂ max is a good benchmark for measuring your aerobic fitness levels because it literally tells you how well your body is using oxygen. If you’re an athlete who loves cardio, then VO₂ max should be one of your calling cards for assessing your fitness and measuring your progress over time if you’re trying to improve your performance. Even if you’re not an athlete, consider going to your local gym or doctor and asking for a submaximal exercise test. VO₂ max is a strong predictor of your quality of life as you age. It’s worth tracking to find and maintain a good or higher VO₂ max score to help you stay healthy throughout your life. Last medically reviewed on October 17, 2022

How we vetted this article

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.ACSM's health-related physical fitness assessment manual, 5th edition. (2019).
acsm.org/docs/default-source/publications-files/hrpfam5_table-8-9-updated.pdf?sfvrsn=e82139fc_4Beltz NM, et al. (2016). Graded exercise testing protocols for the determination of VO2max: Historical perspectives, progress, and future considerations.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5221270/Exercise stress test. (2015).
heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-attack/diagnosing-a-heart-attack/exercise-stress-testMayorga-Vega D, et al. (2016). Criterion-related validity of the distance- and time-based walk/run field tests for estimating cardiorespiratory fitness: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
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ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4836566/Strasser B, et al. (2018). Survival of the fittest: VO2max, a key predictor of longevity?
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29293447Your lungs and exercise. (2016).
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4818249/Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available. Current Version Oct 18, 2022 By Tim Jewell Edited By Aline (Ren) Dias Medically Reviewed By Danielle Hildreth, RN, CPT Copy Edited By Siobhan DeRemer Apr 22, 2020 By Tim Jewell Edited By Willow Banks Medically Reviewed By Daniel Bubnis, MS, NASM-CPT, NASE Level II-CSS Copy Edited By Siobhan DeRemer Share this articleMedically reviewed by Danielle Hildreth, RN, CPT — By Tim Jewell — Updated on October 17, 2022

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