What Is A Good VO2 Max Score?

Our watches tell us a VO2 Max score, but how do you know if you have a good VO2 Max for your age and gender? How can you improve your VO2 Max? 

The information below is relevant for everyone, and our VO2 Max is consistent regardless of the sport we take part in most often.

VO2 MAX: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

VO2 Max is a measure of cardiovascular fitness. It is the maximum volume of oxygen a person can utilise during exercise, given as a figure that refers to millilitres of oxygen per kilogram of bodyweight per minute. The higher the number, the greater a person’s aerobic fitness potential. 

VO2 Max is something that we can train and improve, and it can be an important measure of overall health. 

The VO2 Max score on your watch is likely within 5-10% accuracy of what you’d get in a laboratory test.

Want to know more? We’ve covered everything you need to know about VO2 Max here (or a simplified VO2 Max Explained), plus how to improve your VO2 Max. 

VO2 MAX VARIES BY GENDER AND AGE

Your VO2 Max is a unique measure of your own fitness, and the score takes into consideration your gender, age and weight. 

Our VO2 Max decreases as we age so we should consider the VO2 Max within your age group percentile. 

A 20-year-old woman with a VO2 Max of 40 would be poor, but a 60-year-old woman with a VO2 Max of 40 would be superior. A 40-year-old man with a VO2 Max of 40 would be fair to good (around the 50th percentile).  

GOOD VO2 MAX SCORES FOR MEN

Note: The % value represents the percentile of the population.

GOOD VO2 MAX SCORES FOR WOMEN

All figures from Garmin

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT VO2 MAX?

• Read this deep dive into VO2 Max
• If you don’t want the deep dive, then here’s the basics of VO2 Max explained 
• Here’s how to improve your VO2 Max, including some specific workouts to try
• Below is a video on whether the VO2 Max score on your watch is accurate