Estimate your VO₂ Max (ml/kg/min) using your resting HR and optional race performance. See both heart-rate based and race-test methods side by side.
What is VO₂ Max and Why Should You Care?
VO₂ Max is your aerobic engine capacity, the maximum rate of oxygen that your body can utilize at high intensities, measured in millilitres per kilogram per minute (ml/kg/min). It's the gold standard for cardiovascular fitness and endurance capacity. Lab? It's worked out down to your breaths. For mere mortals like us? We use smart formulas and a bit of elbow grease.
Two Ways of Calculation
Here you are given two eye-estimate methods for your VO₂. One is the heart-rate ratio approach of Uth et al., which approximates VO₂ from how your maximum heart rate is compared to your resting heart rate…
VO₂ ≈ (HR_max / HR_rest) × 15.3
Or if you've got a recent race time (e.g. a 5 km) and time, you can try a race-based approach like a Cooper-type formula:
VO₂ ≈ ((distance in meters normalized to 12 min – 504.9) / 44.73
You have two perspectives - one on your ability to pump from your heart, one based on how hard you really worked.
Why These Are Estimates
These aren't medical laboratory tests. They give you a loose estimate that's sufficient to trend over time or between runners, but not a clinical reading. There are many factors (running efficiency, heredity, altitude, training level) that influence it which these formulas simply can't capture. But for recreational athletes, these estimates get you in the neighbourhood.
Use them, track them, calibrate them. That's the fun.
VO₂ Max Estimator
Estimate your VO₂max (ml/kg/min) using either a heart-rate method (Uth) or a Cooper 12-minute run test.
Last Word
And there you have it, your own VO₂ Max estimate, oxygen mask and treadmill torture chamber-free. Use heart-rate method for quick estimates and try the "race method" when you've just crushed a run and require more data.
If your results look weird, don’t panic. Use this as a trend tool, not gospel. Got feedback, strange numbers, or want to compare VO₂ with your running buddies? Drop it in the comments, we’re all here to see who has the biggest aerobic engine (without sounding creepy).
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