Two field tests, two formulas
A lab measures VO2 max directly with a gas analyser. Field tests estimate it from how far or how fast you can go. The Cooper 12-minute run suits anyone who can run flat out; the Rockport one-mile walk suits beginners, older people or anyone who should not sprint.
Rockport uses your one-mile walk time and finishing heart rate instead:
Sex is 1 for male, 0 for female; time is the one-mile walk in minutes; HR is your heart rate at the finish.
Cooper run distance and the VO2 max it implies
| 12-min distance | VO2 max |
|---|---|
| 1600 m | 24.5 |
| 2000 m | 33.4 |
| 2400 m | 42.3 |
| 2800 m | 51.3 |
| 3200 m | 60.3 |
| 3600 m | 69.2 |
Every extra 100 m in the 12 minutes is worth about 2.2 mL/kg/min. Results are in mL/kg/min.
What counts as good, by age and sex
VO2 max falls roughly 1% a year after 25, so the thresholds slide down with age. These are the "good" and "excellent" cut-offs from Cooper Institute norms, in mL/kg/min.
| Age | Men — good | Men — excellent | Women — good | Women — excellent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20–29 | 45.4 | 51.1 | 39.5 | 43.9 |
| 30–39 | 44.0 | 48.3 | 37.8 | 42.4 |
| 40–49 | 42.4 | 46.4 | 36.3 | 39.7 |
| 50–59 | 39.2 | 43.4 | 33.0 | 36.7 |
| 60–69 | 35.5 | 39.5 | 30.0 | 33.0 |
Reach the "good" number and you are at or above that column's threshold; the "excellent" figure is the next tier up. Women average 10–15% lower than men at the same age.
Getting a clean reading
- Cooper needs maximal effort. Pacing too gently underreports your VO2 max; the formula assumes you finished spent.
- Rockport is a walk, not a run. Walk the mile as fast as you can — running invalidates the heart-rate model.
- A watch estimate is not a test. Garmin or Apple Watch figures are modelled from heart rate, not measured, and drift from a field test.
Common questions
How do I estimate VO2 max from a 12-minute run?
Use the Cooper formula: VO2 max = (distance in metres minus 504.9) divided by 44.73. A 2400 m run gives (2400 minus 504.9) divided by 44.73 = 42.3 mL/kg/min. It needs a genuine all-out effort to be accurate.
Is 40 mL/kg/min a good VO2 max?
It depends on age and sex. For a man under 40 it is fair, roughly average. For a woman under 40 it sits in the good to excellent range. Check it against the age table above.
How accurate is a field test compared with a lab?
Field tests estimate VO2 max within about 3 to 5 mL/kg/min of a laboratory measurement. The Cooper test correlates with lab values at around r = 0.90, but only when you run to exhaustion.
