VO2 max calculator
VO2 max is the most oxygen your body can use per minute, the standard measure of aerobic fitness. You can estimate it from a field test rather than a lab. FitCalcs offers the Cooper test, the furthest you can run in 12 minutes, and the Rockport test, a brisk 1-mile walk with your pulse taken at the finish, which is kinder for beginners. Both estimate a lab VO2 max test. Do not run a maximal test without medical clearance if you have a heart condition. This is general information for fitness.
How this is worked out
VO2 max is the most oxygen your body can use per minute, in millilitres per kilogram per minute, and is the standard measure of aerobic fitness. FitCalcs offers two field tests:
Cooper: VO2max = (distance_m − 504.9) ÷ 44.73
Rockport: 132.853 − 0.0769 x weight_lb − 0.3877 x age + 6.315 x sex − 3.2649 x time_min − 0.1565 x HR
sex = 1 male, 0 female; weight in pounds
Cooper (1968) is a hard 12-minute run; Rockport is a brisk 1-mile walk with your pulse taken at the finish, kinder for beginners. Both are estimates of a lab VO2 max test.
Informational only. Do not run a maximal test if you have a heart condition without medical clearance. Editorially reviewed by FitCalcs, with each figure citing its source.
Common questions
How can I estimate my VO2 max without a lab?
You run a field test and let the result stand in for the lab measurement. VO2 max is the most oxygen your body can use per minute, the standard measure of aerobic fitness. FitCalcs estimates it from either the Cooper 12-minute run or the Rockport 1-mile walk, so you need no special equipment. This is general information for fitness.
What is the Cooper test?
The Cooper test measures the furthest distance you can run in 12 minutes, ideally on a track or flat measured route. FitCalcs converts that distance into an estimated VO2 max. It is a hard maximal effort, so it suits people who already run. Cooper introduced the test in 1968.
What is the Rockport walk test?
The Rockport test is a brisk 1-mile walk, timed, with your heart rate taken at the finish. FitCalcs uses your time, pulse, weight, age and sex to estimate VO2 max. Because it is a walk rather than an all-out run, it is kinder for beginners and people returning to exercise.
How accurate are these VO2 max estimates?
They are estimates of a laboratory VO2 max test, not the test itself, so expect a margin of error. They are most useful for tracking your own fitness over time, where the trend matters more than the exact figure. Do not attempt a maximal test without medical clearance if you have a heart condition.
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Editor, FitCalcs
Oliver Mackman is the named editor of FitCalcs and a director of Best Business Loans Ltd (Companies House 16833937), the company that operates the site. He is accountable for its editorial standards, sourcing and corrections, and requires every result to cite the underlying equation and the named UK source behind it, with health tools carrying the appropriate not-medical-advice caveats.
Last reviewed: 12 June 2026