Estimate your cardiorespiratory fitness using the Cooper test, a 1-mile walk, or your resting heart rate. Find out how you compare to others.
VO2 max, or maximal oxygen consumption, refers to the maximum amount of oxygen that an individual can utilize during intense or maximal exercise. It is measured in milliliters of oxygen used in one minute per kilogram of body weight (mL/kg/min). It is widely considered the best indicator of cardiovascular fitness and aerobic endurance.
A higher VO2 max means your body can take in more oxygen and deliver it to your muscles, enabling you to run faster, cycle longer, and generally perform aerobic activities more efficiently without fatiguing.
Testing your true VO2 max requires a specialized laboratory setup with a treadmill or cycle ergometer and a mask to measure your oxygen consumption directly. Because this is expensive and inaccessible for most people, several reliable field tests have been developed to estimate VO2 max:
To improve your cardiorespiratory fitness, you should incorporate both steady-state aerobic training (Zone 2) and High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Zone 2 training builds your aerobic base, while HIIT pushes your cardiovascular system near its limit to increase your maximum capacity.
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