A Scannable Guide To VO2 Max: What It Is + Why You Should Care

The most researched predictor of how long you will live is something you might not expect, or perhaps even heard of before—I’m talking about VO2 max. So many people assume this metric is only important for athletes or major fitness stars, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. 

Don’t worry, VO2 max expert, kinesiology professor, and co-director of the Center for Sports Performance at CSU Fullerton Andy Galpin, Ph.D. just delivered a grade-A crash course to all things VO2 max on the mindbodygreen podcast.

VO2 max, or the volume of maximal oxygen consumption, measures how much oxygen your body can absorb and use during intense exercise. Typically, VO2 max is used to assess your aerobic fitness level, but as Galpin explains, it can also indicate longevity.

“VO2 max would outpredict anything else you could possibly measure. Blood work, blood pressure, scans of any type, nothing will tell you more about your lifespan than VO2 max,” he says.

Moreover, your VO2 max influences how much energy everyday tasks require. For example, you don't want simple activities like picking up your kids or carrying groceries to put you at your VO2 max—if they do, you'll experience fatigue any time you have to expend energy. This could leave you with less energy for other activities later in the day, including exercise.

Not sure how to pick? Galpin suggests considering how much you care about the details. If you're just starting out and want to know if you're in the ideal range, any option will do. But if you want to fine-tune your VO2 max, opt for the more detailed assessments.

Now that you know how to test it, let’s talk numbers: How do you assess your score? “Think about VO2 max as a scale of zero to 100,” Galpin says, with 100 being the highest VO2 max score ever recorded.

There are plenty of charts available to help you view your score in context (including those below), but in general, the average person has a VO2 max of about 40. A score below 15 is a flag for serious concern, he says.

Here are some averages to consider from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM):

Your base VO2 max is not set in stone. While genetics play a role in your overall fitness and VO2 max does decline with age, your activity and lifestyle have the most significant impact on your ability to raise that number, Galpin says.

“You have real tremendous control over your VO2 max,” he explains.

Moreover, you don't have to run a marathon or exercise every single day to boost your VO2 max. “Nothing is better at improving VO2 max than challenging VO2 max,” he says.

This means you're working against your past fitness, not anyone else’s. If your only exercise is going for daily walks, you can challenge yourself by increasing intensity or duration. If you're a marathon runner, you'll increase your VO2 max by pushing yourself with speed or distance, or trying another form of cardio altogether.

“It’s not the thing that matters,” he says about your choice of exercise, it’s that you challenge yourself aerobically. 

Warning: Don’t go from 0 to 100

VO2 max is an often overlooked measure of longevity but one of the best predictors you can find. You can test your VO2 max at a local fitness facility, research center, or through some wearable health trackers.

The strongest influence on your VO2 max is your fitness and activity level, so get moving–be it walking, cycling, swimming, and so on.