Maximal Oxygen Consumption (VO2max) Norms

VO₂max is a para­metric measure of a person’s cardio­respira­tory capacity or aerobic fitness (measuring VO₂max). The tables below categorize relative VO₂max scores for adult men and women of various ages. These scores are in units of milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute (ml/kg^-1/min^-1). Note that women average 4–5 milliliters less than men. Follow this external link for online VO₂max calculators.

Maximal Oxygen Uptake Norms For Men (ml/kg/min)

	Age (years)
Rating	18–25	26–35	36–45	46–55	56–65	65+
Excellent	> 60	> 56	> 51	> 45	> 41	> 37
Good	52–60	49–56	43–51	39–45	36–41	33–37
Above Average	47–51	43–48	39–42	36–38	32–35	29–32
Average	42–46	40–42	35–38	32–35	30–31	26–28
Below Average	37–41	35–39	31–34	29–31	26–29	22–25
Poor	30–36	30–34	26–30	25–28	22–25	20–21
Very Poor	< 30	< 30	< 26	< 25	< 22	< 20

Maximal Oxygen Uptake Norms For Women (ml/kg/min)

	Age (years)
Rating	18–25	26–35	36–45	46–55	56–65	65+
Excellent	> 56	> 52	> 45	> 40	> 37	> 32
Good	47–56	45–52	38–45	34–40	32–37	28–32
Above average	42–46	39–44	34–37	31–33	28–31	25–27
Average	38–41	35–38	31–33	28–30	25–27	22–24
Below Average	33–37	31–34	27–30	25–27	22–24	19–21
Poor	28–32	26–30	22–26	20–24	18–21	17–18
Very Poor	< 28	< 26	< 22	< 20	< 18	< 17

Source: These norms have been derived from several now unknown sources.