What Is a Good VO₂max for Your Age?
Your VO₂max score only means something when you know what it's being compared to. A score of 42 ml/kg/min is excellent for a 55-year-old woman and merely average for a 25-year-old man. Context is everything.
This guide gives you the complete age and sex norms, explains what your score actually means for your health, and shows you what it takes to move into the next category.
VO₂max norms for men by age group
Source: ACSM Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription (based on Cooper Clinic and ACSM normative data)
| Age | Very Poor | Poor | Fair | Good | Excellent | Superior |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20–29 | <33 | 33–37 | 38–43 | 44–50 | 51–56 | >56 |
| 30–39 | <31 | 31–35 | 36–41 | 42–47 | 48–53 | >53 |
| 40–49 | <27 | 27–31 | 32–37 | 38–44 | 45–51 | >51 |
| 50–59 | <22 | 22–26 | 27–32 | 33–39 | 40–47 | >47 |
| 60–69 | <20 | 20–24 | 25–30 | 31–37 | 38–44 | >44 |
| 70+ | <17 | 17–21 | 22–26 | 27–32 | 33–39 | >39 |
VO₂max norms for women by age group
| Age | Very Poor | Poor | Fair | Good | Excellent | Superior |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20–29 | <24 | 24–28 | 29–34 | 35–41 | 42–46 | >46 |
| 30–39 | <22 | 22–26 | 27–32 | 33–38 | 39–44 | >44 |
| 40–49 | <20 | 20–24 | 25–29 | 30–35 | 36–41 | >41 |
| 50–59 | <17 | 17–21 | 22–26 | 27–32 | 33–39 | >39 |
| 60–69 | <15 | 15–19 | 20–24 | 25–30 | 31–37 | >37 |
| 70+ | <13 | 13–17 | 18–22 | 23–28 | 29–35 | >35 |
What do the categories actually mean?
Very Poor / Poor
At this level, everyday activities — climbing stairs, carrying shopping, walking quickly — may feel more demanding than they should. Cardiovascular disease risk is significantly elevated. The good news: this is where training improvements are fastest and most dramatic.
Fair
You can manage daily life comfortably but sustained aerobic activity (a brisk 30-minute walk, recreational cycling) feels like a real effort. Moderate cardiovascular risk. Meaningful improvement is achievable within 8–12 weeks of consistent training.
Good
You have solid aerobic fitness. Recreational sport and moderate endurance activity feel manageable. Cardiovascular risk is below average. Most regular exercisers fall in this range.
Excellent
You're fitter than the majority of your age group. Sustained endurance activities are comfortable. Cardiovascular risk is low. Typical of consistent runners, cyclists, and swimmers who train 4–5 times per week.
Superior
Top 5–10% of your age group. Associated with the lowest cardiovascular and all-cause mortality risk. Typical of competitive amateur athletes and people who have trained consistently for years.
Why VO₂max declines with age — and how much you can slow it
VO₂max naturally declines by approximately 1% per year after age 25 in sedentary individuals. By age 65, an inactive person may have lost 30–40% of their peak aerobic capacity.
But here's what the research shows: regular aerobic exercise cuts that decline rate roughly in half. Active people lose about 0.5% per year — meaning a fit 65-year-old can have a higher VO₂max than an inactive 45-year-old.
A 2019 study in Circulation found that people who exercised 4–5 times per week in middle age had VO₂max values 20–25% higher than their sedentary peers at the same age — and showed significantly less arterial stiffening and cardiac remodelling.
The practical takeaway: the age norms above aren't destiny. Consistent training keeps you competitive with people 10–15 years younger.
What's the minimum VO₂max for healthy ageing?
A landmark 2018 study in JAMA Network Open (Kokkinos et al.) followed over 120,000 patients and found that the risk of death decreased progressively with higher fitness across all age groups — with no ceiling effect observed. The fitter you are, the lower the risk, right up to elite levels.
More practically, research from the Cooper Institute suggests that a VO₂max of at least 18 ml/kg/min for women and 20 ml/kg/min for men is needed to maintain functional independence in old age — the ability to live independently, climb stairs, and carry out daily tasks without assistance.
Getting into the "Good" category for your age group is associated with a dramatic drop in cardiovascular risk compared to "Fair" or below.
How to improve your VO₂max
VO₂max is highly responsive to training. The most effective approaches:
- High-intensity interval training (HIIT): The fastest method. Research consistently shows 4×4 minute intervals at 90–95% max HR (with 3-minute active recovery) produces the largest VO₂max gains per hour of training. 2–3 sessions per week is enough.
- Zone 2 training: Long, easy aerobic sessions at 60–70% max HR build mitochondrial density and aerobic base. Slower to improve VO₂max than HIIT, but sustainable, lower injury risk, and important for long-term cardiovascular health. Aim for 3–4 sessions per week of 30–60 minutes.
- Combining both: The "polarised" training model — most volume at low intensity with a small amount at high intensity — is what most endurance coaches use for maximum long-term development.
Realistic timelines:
- Beginners can expect 10–20% improvement in 8–12 weeks
- Intermediate exercisers typically see 5–10% improvement per training block
- Well-trained athletes see smaller but still meaningful gains (2–5%)
Find out your VO₂max and fitness percentile
MyHealthTools estimates your VO₂max from your resting heart rate using the Uth formula, then shows you your fitness percentile for your age and sex based on ACSM norms.
Free, no account needed, takes 3 minutes.
➡️ Calculate your VO₂max and percentile free
References:
ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, 11th edition.
Kokkinos P, et al. Cardiorespiratory fitness and mortality risk across the spectra of age, race, and sex. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2022.
Uth N, et al. Estimation of VO2max from the ratio between HRmax and HRresting. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2004.
Howden EJ, et al. Reversing the Cardiac Effects of Sedentary Aging in Middle Age. Circulation. 2018.