VO2max calculator
VO2max calculator by age and sex
Enter how far you ran in a Cooper 12-minute test, plus your age and sex. You get an estimated VO2max and its place in a published chart for your age and sex. It runs in your browser, and nothing you type is saved or sent.
Run the test on a flat track or road. Cover as much ground as you can in 12 minutes, then note the distance. Cooper test guide
No Cooper test yet? The Complete app has the Cooper 12-minute test built in, and its tests give you a VO2max estimate. Get the app to run it.
The Cooper formula
Kenneth Cooper published the 12-minute run test in 1968. He compared the distance people ran with their VO2max measured on a treadmill in a lab.
The formula turns your distance into an estimate: VO2max = (distance in metres - 504.9) / 44.73. The answer is in ml of oxygen per kg of body weight per minute (ml/kg/min). A run of 2,400 m gives 42.4. A run of 3,000 m gives 55.8.
The formula has no weight term, so the calculator does not ask for your weight. Miles are converted to metres first: 1 mile is 1,609.344 m.
Where your number sits in the chart
The chart below comes from FRIEND, a registry of lab tests (Kaminsky, Arena and Myers, 2015). It lists VO2max measured on a treadmill for each age band and sex, at seven percentiles. The 50th percentile is the median: half of the group sits below it.
The calculator shows the two columns your number falls between. It does not work out a single percentile, because the chart holds seven points and nothing between them.
The chart holds lab-measured values, and the Cooper formula gives an estimate from a field run. Read the place in the chart as a rough guide.
The chart starts at age 20 and ends at 79. For any other age, the calculator gives your VO2max and no place in the chart.
VO2max chart for men by age
VO2max in ml/kg/min, measured on a treadmill. Source: Kaminsky et al. 2015, Table 3.
| Age | 5th | 10th | 25th | 50th | 75th | 90th | 95th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20-29 | 29.0 | 32.1 | 40.1 | 48.0 | 55.2 | 61.8 | 66.3 |
| 30-39 | 27.2 | 30.2 | 35.9 | 42.4 | 49.2 | 56.5 | 59.8 |
| 40-49 | 24.2 | 26.8 | 31.9 | 37.8 | 45.0 | 52.1 | 55.6 |
| 50-59 | 20.9 | 22.8 | 27.1 | 32.6 | 39.7 | 45.6 | 50.7 |
| 60-69 | 17.4 | 19.8 | 23.7 | 28.2 | 34.5 | 40.3 | 43.0 |
| 70-79 | 16.3 | 17.1 | 20.4 | 24.4 | 30.4 | 36.6 | 39.7 |
VO2max chart for women by age
VO2max in ml/kg/min, measured on a treadmill. Source: Kaminsky et al. 2015, Table 3.
| Age | 5th | 10th | 25th | 50th | 75th | 90th | 95th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20-29 | 21.7 | 23.9 | 30.5 | 37.6 | 44.7 | 51.3 | 56.0 |
| 30-39 | 19.0 | 20.9 | 25.3 | 30.2 | 36.1 | 41.4 | 45.8 |
| 40-49 | 17.0 | 18.8 | 22.1 | 26.7 | 32.4 | 38.4 | 41.7 |
| 50-59 | 16.0 | 17.3 | 19.9 | 23.4 | 27.6 | 32.0 | 35.9 |
| 60-69 | 13.4 | 14.6 | 17.2 | 20.0 | 23.8 | 27.0 | 29.4 |
| 70-79 | 13.1 | 13.6 | 15.6 | 18.3 | 20.8 | 23.1 | 24.1 |
What Complete does with VO2max
The Complete app runs the Cooper 12-minute test and a Complete ramp test. It also takes lab test (CPET) results you import. The tests in the app give VO2max estimates.
Complete feeds your VO2max into Complete Age. It reads VO2max from Apple Health too, and you can type in a reading from another watch.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate VO2max from a Cooper test?
Subtract 504.9 from the distance you covered in 12 minutes, in metres. Divide the result by 44.73. A run of 2,400 m gives 42.4 ml/kg/min.
What is a good VO2max for my age?
The FRIEND chart on this page lists the 5th to the 95th percentile for each age band and sex. The median for men aged 30 to 39 is 42.4, and for women aged 30 to 39 it is 30.2.
Is the Cooper test the same as a lab VO2max test?
No. The Cooper test is a field test, and the formula turns your distance into an estimate. A lab test measures the oxygen you breathe while you run on a treadmill or ride a bike. The two numbers can differ.
Does this calculator need my weight?
No. The Cooper formula has no weight term. Body weight is already part of the unit: ml of oxygen per kg of body weight per minute.
Does it save what I enter?
No. The calculation runs in your browser, and nothing you type is saved or sent.
How can I get my VO2max without running a Cooper test?
The Complete app has the Cooper 12-minute test and a Complete ramp test built in, and the tests give VO2max estimates. It also reads VO2max from Apple Health.
Related
Sources
- Cooper KH. A means of assessing maximal oxygen intake. JAMA, 1968;203(3):201-204 checked 19 Oct 2026
- Kaminsky LA, Arena R, Myers J. Reference standards for cardiorespiratory fitness measured with cardiopulmonary exercise testing (FRIEND). Mayo Clin Proc, 2015;90(11):1515-1523, Table 3 checked 19 Oct 2026
Run the test in the app
The Complete app has the Cooper 12-minute test built in. Over time, Complete gets to know your body and your schedule.