And why you may want to measure it instead
Hi there!
Not knowing your VO2 max is similar to not knowing how much money you have in your retirement account.
I think there’s a good chance you don’t actually know what your VO2 max is, but luckily there are some quick and easy ways to get an estimate.
Today we’ll cover…
- Two ways to estimate your VO2 max without doing a test
- An easy submaximal exercise test
- A simple, but more strenuous maximal exercise test
By the end you’ll have a sense of where you stand, and a better idea of if a true measurement might be a better fit for you.
Pure Estimates
The easiest ways to estimate your VO2 max is by using a questionnaire with calculator or wearable.
Estimate #1: Non-Exercise Fitness Test Calculator
There are several tests that have been developed, but I like this one. Here’s how it works. You record your…
- Age
- Gender
- Body weight
- Height
Then you rate your physical activity on a scale of 0-7 (0 = avoid walking or exertion; 7 = running more than 10 miles or 3 hours per week).
From there the data is run through an equation [V02 max = 56.363 + 1.921(PAR) – 0.381(Age) – 0.754(BMI) + 10.987(Gender)] and you get an estimate of your VO2 max.
The obvious limitation here is that the number you get is highly impacted by how you report your activity level (and I’m not a fan of the 0-7 scale) and your BMI (which has it’s own issues).
Estimate #2: Wearable Devices
Many wearable devices will take data from your resting heart rate, heart rate during activity and heart rate recovery after activity to create an estimate of your VO2 max.
The benefit here is that the number is estimated from activities you are already doing, rather than a pure self rating of your activity level. It’s also very easy because you don’t have to do any separate testing. Just wear it for a while and you’ll get a number.
The down side is that the number can be inconsistent. I have an Apple watch and it drastically under-estimated my VO2 max compared to what is was when I tested it.
The estimates from wearable devices are better than nothing, especially for people with health issues that makes exercise testing dangerous.
That being said, if you are healthy enough for an exercise test, getting an accurate number and comparing it to your wearable is best.
Submaximal Exercise Test
If you are healthy enough to do some exercise testing, but don’t want to do a maximal exercise test, then here is an easy test that I like.
Estimate #3: The 1-Mile Rockport Walk Test
Here’s what you need for the 1-Mile Rockport Walk Test.
- Your gender, age and weight
- A 400 m running track or a route that is exactly 1 mile
- A timer
- A way to measure your heart rate
Start your timer and begin walking as fast as you can (no running).
At the end of 1 mile, stop your timer and immediately measure your heart rate.
Take all of the information (gender, age, weight, time – to the second, heart rate at finish) and enter it into a calculator like this one.
Maximal Exercise Tests
The best way by far to get your VO2 max is a maximal exercise test. Technically VO2 max measures maximal oxygen uptake, so the closer you get to maximal exertion, the more accurate your estimate will be.
The best test is a true VO2 max test. But if you prefer a free method, here’s one more way to get an estimate.
Estimate #4: The 12 min Cooper Run Test
Here’s what you need for the 12 min Cooper run test.
- A 400 m track.
- A timer.
Set a timer for 12 minutes.
Start the timer and start running around the track.
Make sure you count each lap that you complete.
At the end of 12 minutes stop running. Estimate the number of meters you completed from the final lap and add it to the total distance (400m x number of complete laps run).
Use the total distance covered to estimate your VO2 max with one of the formulas below (depending on if you measured distance in miles or kilometers).
- Kilometers: VO2max = (22.351 x kilometers) – 11.288
- Miles: VO2max = (35.97 x miles) – 11.29
Why estimate when you can measure
If you have medical issues that make a maximal exercise test unsafe, then estimating will have to do.
For everyone else, I think there’s more value in measuring your VO2 max than there is in estimating it.
In the next two weeks we’ll cover…
- Exactly what a VO2 max test is like
- All of the other useful information you get in addition to your VO2 max.
Best,