What's a good VO2 max for your age, and how do you raise it?

VO2 Max by Age: What's Good and How to Improve It

Reviewed 2026-11-06 · 8 sources · By Anthony Falcone

The short answer: In US lab tests of adults without heart disease, the middle (50th percentile) VO2 max fell from 48.0 mL/kg/min for men and 37.6 for women in their 20s to 24.4 and 18.3 in their 70s, about 10% less per decade. Anything above the middle for your age and sex is above average, and in large studies people with higher fitness lived longer. Both steady cardio and interval training raise VO2 max a lot within weeks, intervals slightly more.^1,3,4,6

Before you start

Talk to your doctor before starting hard interval training or a maximal fitness test if you have heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, chest pain or breathlessness on exertion, dizziness or fainting, or if you haven't exercised for years. A VO2 max test pushes you to your limit, which is why labs screen people first.¹
Stop and get checked if you feel chest pain, an irregular or racing heartbeat, or faintness during exercise. Those are reasons to see a doctor, not to push through.

48.0 → 24.4 middle VO2 max (mL/kg/min) for men in their 20s vs their 70s; for women 37.6 → 18.3¹
13% lower risk of death for each 1 MET of extra fitness, across 33 studies of 102,980 healthy adults (risk ratio 0.87)³
5.04 times the risk of death for the least fit quarter vs the fittest 2.3% among 122,007 people tested on a treadmill⁴
+4.9 / +5.5 mL/kg/min gain in VO2 max from steady endurance training vs from interval training, compared with no exercise, in 28 trials⁶
0.51 L/min average VO2 max gain after 6–13 weeks of interval training in 37 studies (334 people under 45)⁷

What VO2 max is, and how it's measured

VO2 max is the most oxygen your body can take up and use during all-out exercise. It is the standard measure of cardiorespiratory fitness, and it is usually given per kilogram of body weight, in millilitres of oxygen per kilogram per minute (mL/kg/min).¹

The best measurement comes from a cardiopulmonary exercise test: you run or cycle to exhaustion while a mask measures the air you breathe. Many studies and clinics instead estimate fitness from how long you last or how fast and steep the treadmill got. Those estimates carry errors of about ±3.4 to ±4.4 mL/kg/min, so a calculated number is a rough guide, not a lab result.¹

Fitness is also often given in METs, multiples of resting oxygen use, where 1 MET equals 3.5 mL/kg/min. One extra MET corresponds roughly to running 1 km/h faster.^4,3

VO2 max by age: the chart for men and women

The FRIEND registry gathered 7,783 lab-measured treadmill tests from 8 US laboratories in 2014–2015, in adults aged 20 to 79 without known heart disease (4,611 tests in men, 3,172 in women). The middle value (50th percentile) for men was 48.0 mL/kg/min in their 20s, 42.4 in their 30s, 37.8 in their 40s, 32.6 in their 50s, 28.2 in their 60s and 24.4 in their 70s.¹

For women the middle values were 37.6 in their 20s, 30.2 in their 30s, 26.7 in their 40s, 23.4 in their 50s, 20.0 in their 60s and 18.3 in their 70s. Women's values were lower at every age; the gap between the sexes narrowed from about 10 mL/kg/min in the 20s to about 7.5 in the 70s.¹

Across the five decades from the 20s to the 70s, VO2 max fell by roughly 10% per decade in this group.¹

A 2022 update with 22,379 tests from 34 laboratories, now covering ages 20 to 89, found the treadmill standards 1.5 to 4.6 mL/kg/min lower than the 2015 ones, and an average decline of 13.5% (4.0 mL/kg/min) per decade over six decades. So treat the numbers above as a guide that is, if anything, slightly generous. We could read only the summary of the 2022 paper, so the chart here uses the full 2015 tables.^2,1

What is a good VO2 max?

"Good" is relative to people of your age and sex. In FRIEND, a man in his 40s at 45.0 mL/kg/min or a woman in her 40s at 32.4 was at the 75th percentile, fitter than three in four peers. For men and women in their 60s the 75th percentile was 34.5 and 23.8.¹

For health, the clearest line comes from a meta-analysis of 33 cohort studies: people below 7.9 METs had clearly higher rates of death and heart disease than people at 7.9 METs or more. At 3.5 mL/kg/min per MET, 7.9 METs is 7.9 × 3.5 ≈ 27.7 mL/kg/min. The study called 10.9 METs or more (10.9 × 3.5 ≈ 38.2 mL/kg/min) high fitness.^3,4

These are observational cut-offs from mostly middle-aged and older adults, not targets proven in trials. They are useful as a rough floor to stay above as you age.³

VO2 max and longevity: what the big studies show

Kodama's meta-analysis pooled 33 studies with 102,980 healthy adults and 6,910 deaths. Each 1 MET of extra fitness went with a 13% lower risk of death from any cause (risk ratio 0.87) and a 15% lower risk of heart disease events (0.85). Compared with the fittest group, the least fit had 1.70 times the risk of death.³

A Cleveland Clinic study followed 122,007 people who did a treadmill test (average age 53.4) for a median of 8.4 years; 13,637 died. Risk of death fell at every step up in fitness, and the fittest group (top 2.3% for age and sex) had the lowest risk of all: the least fit quarter had 5.04 times their risk. Being below average rather than above average carried a hazard ratio of 1.41, the same size as smoking (1.41) and diabetes (1.40). The authors saw no upper limit to the benefit.⁴

A 2024 overview of 26 meta-analyses, covering 199 cohort studies and more than 20.9 million observations, found the same pattern: high versus low fitness went with about half the risk of death from any cause (hazard ratio 0.47), and each extra MET with 11–17% lower risk. The certainty of the evidence ranged from very low to moderate.⁵

All of these are observational. People who are fit may also be healthier in other ways, and the Cleveland Clinic authors say plainly that their data cannot show cause and effect.^4,5

How to improve VO2 max: steady cardio vs intervals

A meta-analysis of 28 controlled trials with 723 healthy adults aged 18 to 45 (average age 25.1, starting VO2 max 40.8 mL/kg/min) compared two approaches with doing no exercise. Steady endurance training raised VO2 max by 4.9 mL/kg/min and high-intensity interval training by 5.5 mL/kg/min, both rated large effects by the authors. Head to head, intervals came out about 1.2 mL/kg/min ahead, a possibly small advantage. Trials had to last at least 2 weeks.⁶

Gains were larger for people who started less fit and for programmes that ran longer, for both kinds of training.⁶

A second meta-analysis looked only at demanding interval programmes: 37 studies, 334 healthy, untrained or recreationally active people under 45 (120 women). Training ran 6 to 13 weeks, at least 3 days a week, with at least 10 minutes a session at high intensity, likely 80–85% of VO2 max or more, and rest no longer than the work. VO2 max rose by 0.51 L/min on average, and by about 0.8–0.9 L/min in the 9 studies that used longer intervals.⁷

In practice that means both work: regular steady cardio raises VO2 max, and adding hard intervals a few times a week may raise it a little more.^6,7

Short on time? Exercise snacks

Exercise snacks are brief bouts of activity spread through the day, such as stair climbing, short sprints, cycling or resistance exercise. A 2026 meta-analysis of 21 randomised trials with 921 adults found they raised VO2 max compared with no structured exercise (effect size 1.04, moderate certainty). Trials with more than 5 bouts a day showed the biggest effect (1.74).⁸

The VO2 max gain was clear in trials whose participants averaged under 25 or 25 to 50, but not in those averaging over 50, and there were signs of publication bias, so the true effect is probably smaller. We cover the study in our Verdict post on exercise snacks.⁸

What to do with this

Compare your VO2 max with people of your age and sex: above the 50th percentile is above average, for example 37.8 mL/kg/min for men and 26.7 for women in their 40s.¹
As a health floor, try to stay above about 7.9 METs (7.9 × 3.5 ≈ 27.7 mL/kg/min); below that, rates of death and heart disease were clearly higher.^3,4
Do regular steady cardio, and if your doctor is happy for you to train hard, add interval sessions: in trials they raised VO2 max slightly more than steady training.^6,7
Give it weeks, not days: the interval programmes that raised VO2 max ran 6 to 13 weeks, at least 3 days a week.⁷
If you can't fit in a full session, several short bouts spread over the day still raised VO2 max in trials, but keep longer sessions in your week too.⁸

How sure is this?

The links between fitness and a longer life come from observational studies. They show that fitter people live longer, not that raising your VO2 max will add a set number of years. The 2024 overview rated the certainty from very low to moderate, and most people in the studies were men.^5,4
The Cleveland Clinic study tested patients referred to a hospital for a treadmill test and estimated fitness from the treadmill, rather than measuring VO2 max with a mask; Kodama's meta-analysis also used fitness estimated in METs. We read only the summary of Kodama's paper.^4,3
The FRIEND reference values come from US laboratories and people who chose or were referred to be tested, and the 2022 update put the treadmill standards 1.5 to 4.6 mL/kg/min lower. Norwegian reference data in the same paper were notably higher at every age, so "normal" depends on where the numbers come from.^1,2
The training trials were in healthy adults under 45, short, and varied widely; the interval meta-analysis was mostly young men and showed some publication bias (the corrected estimate was 0.37 L/min instead of 0.51). We read only the summary of the 28-trial comparison.^6,7
The authors of the Cleveland Clinic study, the 2024 overview, the interval meta-analysis and the exercise-snacks meta-analysis declared no competing interests. The FRIEND registry received partial support from TKC Global and the US National Institutes of Health; the interval meta-analysis was partly funded by the NIH and the Mayo Foundation.^1,7,4,5,8

Common questions

What is a good VO2 max by age?

Above the middle for your age and sex is above average. In US lab data the middle was 48.0 mL/kg/min for men and 37.6 for women in their 20s, 37.8 and 26.7 in their 40s, and 28.2 and 20.0 in their 60s.¹

What is a good VO2 max for a woman?

Compared with other women of the same age: the 50th percentile in FRIEND was 30.2 mL/kg/min in the 30s and 23.4 in the 50s, and the 75th percentile 36.1 and 27.6.¹

How long does it take to improve VO2 max?

Weeks. Trials lasting at least 2 weeks counted in the 28-trial comparison, and interval programmes of 6 to 13 weeks raised VO2 max by 0.51 L/min on average. Longer programmes gave bigger gains.^6,7

Is HIIT better than cardio for VO2 max?

Slightly. Compared with no exercise, steady endurance training raised VO2 max by 4.9 mL/kg/min and intervals by 5.5; head to head intervals were about 1.2 mL/kg/min ahead.⁶

Does VO2 max predict how long you live?

It is one of the strongest predictors in observational studies: each extra MET of fitness went with 11–17% lower risk of death, and high versus low fitness with about half the risk. That is a link, not proof of cause.^5,3

How much does VO2 max drop with age?

About 10% per decade in the 2015 US data, and 13.5% (4.0 mL/kg/min) per decade in the larger 2022 update.^1,2

Sources

Kaminsky LA, Arena R, Myers J. Reference standards for cardiorespiratory fitness measured with cardiopulmonary exercise testing: data from the Fitness Registry and the Importance of Exercise National Database (FRIEND). Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2015. Official reference values. doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2015.07.026
Kaminsky LA, Arena R, Myers J, Peterman JE, Bonikowske AR, Harber MP, Medina Inojosa JR, Lavie CJ, Squires RW. Updated reference standards for cardiorespiratory fitness measured with cardiopulmonary exercise testing: data from the Fitness Registry and the Importance of Exercise National Database (FRIEND). Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2022. Official reference values. doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2021.08.020
Kodama S, Saito K, Tanaka S, Maki M, Yachi Y, Asumi M, et al. Cardiorespiratory fitness as a quantitative predictor of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events in healthy men and women: a meta-analysis. JAMA, 2009. Meta-analysis. doi.org/10.1001/jama.2009.681
Mandsager K, Harb S, Cremer P, Phelan D, Nissen SE, Jaber W. Association of cardiorespiratory fitness with long-term mortality among adults undergoing exercise treadmill testing. JAMA Network Open, 2018. Survey / forum study. doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.3605
Lang JJ, Prince SA, Merucci K, Cadenas-Sanchez C, Chaput JP, Fraser BJ, et al. Cardiorespiratory fitness is a strong and consistent predictor of morbidity and mortality among adults: an overview of meta-analyses representing over 20.9 million observations from 199 unique cohort studies. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2024. Review. doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2023-107849
Milanović Z, Sporiš G, Weston M. Effectiveness of high-intensity interval training (HIT) and continuous endurance training for VO2max improvements: a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials. Sports Medicine, 2015. Meta-analysis. doi.org/10.1007/s40279-015-0365-0
Bacon AP, Carter RE, Ogle EA, Joyner MJ. VO2max trainability and high intensity interval training in humans: a meta-analysis. PLoS ONE, 2013. Meta-analysis. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0073182
Meng L, Li Y, Chen J, Zheng H. Effects of exercise snacks on cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, and blood lipids in adults across different age groups: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging, 2026. Meta-analysis. doi.org/10.1016/j.jnha.2026.100940

The Cardiovascular Protocol turns this into training: a Zone 2 framework with heart-rate zones, a VO2 max training plan, strength training in the 30–60 minute weekly range, and the exercise types that lowered blood pressure most in 270 trials, with 9 peer-reviewed references. Over 40? Healthy Ageing 40+ pairs easy cardio and one interval session a week with two strength sessions, protein targets and a daily balance routine. Cardiovascular Protocol · Healthy Ageing 40+