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Calculators - VO2max

Calculators - VO_2max

• Rockport Walk Test (For those less fit and can't run)
• Cooper Endurance Test (run for 12 minutes as fast as you can)
• Jack Daniels VO_2max prediction (convert a race time to a VO_2max)
• Mercier, Leger, Desjardins Nomogram (Uses two race times to predict VO_2max)
• Analysis of the Results

Rockport Walk Test (Kline et al., Med. Sci. Sport Exerc. 1987;19:253-259)

• Walk for 1 mile as fast as you can.  Immediately measure your pulse.

  Sex	Male Female
  Age	years
  Weight	s-stone, {l,p,lbs}-pounds,k-kgs,g-grams (default lbs)
  Mile walk time	m-mins, s-secs, default mins (accepts mins:secs)
  Final heart rate	beats per minute

   Est. VO_2max: ml/kg/min +/- 5 ml/kg/min

Cooper Endurance Test (Dr. Kenneth Cooper, author of "Aerobics" - JAMA 203:201 1968)

• Run as fast as you can for 12 minutes

  Distance covered in 12 mins:    Est. VO_2max: ml/kg/min

  Distance: m-miles, y-yards, k-kms, me-metres, default metres; eg 1m440y 

Jack Daniels ('Conditioning for Distance Running - The Scientific Aspects', Wiley & Sons, 1978)

• Select a PB (from a race) between 1.5km and 10km

  Distance: m-miles, y-yards, k-kms, me-metres, default miles; eg 4m440y 

  Time: d-days, h-hours, m-mins, s-secs, default mins; eg 4h34m23.45s (accepts mins:secs)

• Race Distance:   Race Time:

   Est. VO_2max: ml/kg/min

Mercier, Leger, Desjardins Nomogram (Track Technique 1986)

• Select two PBs (race bests) that are different distances (eg 5k and marathon)

  Distance: m-miles, y-yards, k-kms, me-metres, default miles; eg 4m440y 

  Time: d-days, h-hours, m-mins, s-secs, default mins; eg 4h34m23.45s (accepts mins:secs)

  Race Distance 1:   Race Time:

  Race Distance 2:   Race Time:

   Est. VO_2max: ml/kg/min

More Details

The most accurate way to find your VO_2max is to go to a professional sports laboratory that has a gas analyser and a treadmill. VO_2max will vary depending on the sport you are doing so make sure you do yours on a treadmill not a cycling machine. In this test your effort will gradually be increased (speed then incline) whilst measuring the amount of oxygen used. Your maximum VO₂ will occur near your top effort and typically slightly before. You may also get a graph of O₂ and CO₂ as well as other factors like treadmill speed and time into the test.  

The running based tests above are not particularly accurate as they do not take into account age, body-weight, running efficiency and anaerobic influences, however they do provide a guideline. For more information VO_2max itself see this page.  

Here are some guidelines to analyse your results.

VO2max for Olympic calibre athletes and healthy sedentary people