VO2 Max by Age Chart (Men & Women)
The most useful VO2 max chart shows median (50th-percentile) values by age and sex, so you can see where your number sits relative to your peers. The figures below come from the FRIEND Registry, the largest US database of cardiopulmonary exercise tests, using directly measured treadmill values. [1]
| Age | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 20-29 | 46.5 | 36.6 |
| 30-39 | 39.7 | 28.3 |
| 40-49 | 35.3 | 25.7 |
| 50-59 | 29.2 | 22.9 |
| 60-69 | 24.6 | 19.6 |
| 70-79 | 20.6 | 17.2 |
Median (50th percentile) VO2 max by age and sex, ml/kg/min. 50th-percentile (median) treadmill values from the FRIEND Registry, the largest US cardiopulmonary exercise testing database. [1]
To use the chart, find your age row and compare your own number to the median for your sex. Landing above it puts you in the upper half of fitness for your age group.
What Counts as a Good VO2 Max
So what is a good vo2 max? The simplest answer is anything above the median for your age and sex. The same value lands very differently across ages: a score of 40 ml/kg/min is roughly average for a man in his forties but excellent for a man in his sixties. That's why comparing yourself only to a single "good" number, without adjusting for age, is misleading.
It also helps to think in bands. Sitting well below the median signals the most room to improve and the most health to gain. Around the median is solid. Well above it reflects strong training, and the highest vo2 max levels, the 60s and 70s and beyond, are typically the domain of dedicated endurance athletes and partly genetic. For most people, the meaningful goal is climbing relative to their own age group.
Why VO2 Max Declines With Age
VO2 max tends to fall by roughly 10% per decade after age 30 in people who don't actively train to maintain it. [3] Several age-related changes drive this. Maximum heart rate gradually decreases, which lowers how much blood the heart can pump at peak effort. Muscle mass tends to decline if it isn't maintained, reducing the tissue that uses oxygen. Other circulatory changes contribute as well.
This decline is normal, but its pace is not fixed. The 10%-per-decade figure describes the average, untrained trajectory, and how much you lose depends heavily on how active you stay.
How Much of the Decline You Can Prevent
The encouraging part is how much of the age-related drop is within your control. Regular aerobic training slows the decline substantially, and research on masters athletes shows that people who keep training maintain markedly higher VO2 max into older age than sedentary peers. [3]
Cardiorespiratory fitness is a strong, independent predictor of mortality, and maintaining it through regular exercise is associated with substantially lower risk of death.
— Adapted from Mandsager et al., JAMA Network Open, 2018
In practice, a mix of easy aerobic work and harder intervals can raise your VO2 max at any age and flatten the downward slope. Maintaining your number as you age is one of the higher-leverage things you can do for long-term health, since higher fitness is tied to substantially lower mortality risk. [4] This is the lens Different Health applies, treating VO2 max as a marker to protect over decades, not just a fitness stat.
How to Find and Use Your Number
To compare yourself to these charts, you first need an accurate number. A wearable will give you an estimate, useful for tracking trends, but it can be off by a meaningful margin since it infers VO2 max from heart rate and pace rather than measuring oxygen directly. For a true reading, a lab test is the standard.
The number also matters most when you act on it. At Different Health, VO2 max is measured in-lab as part of the assessment, then a team of MDs and PhDs interprets it against age norms and turns it into personalized training zones and a plan, with retesting to confirm your number is holding or climbing as you age. Comparing to a chart tells you where you stand; a plan tells you what to do next.
Key Takeaways
A good VO2 max is relative to age and sex. Compare your score to the median for your group, not one universal number.
Median scores fall with age, from roughly 48 (men) and 38 (women) in your twenties to about 24 and 18 in your seventies.
VO2 max drops about 10% per decade after 30 in untrained people, but training slows this considerably.
You can improve it at any age. Aerobic and interval training raise VO2 max even in older adults.
Protecting your number as you age is one of the highest-leverage things you can do for long-term health.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good VO2 max by age?
It depends on age and sex. Using FRIEND Registry data, the median for men is about 47 ml/kg/min at 20-29, falling to about 21 by 70-79; for women, about 37 falling to about 17. Scoring above the median for your age and sex is good, and the higher percentiles represent excellent fitness.
How much does VO2 max decline with age?
Generally about 10% per decade after 30 in people who don't train to maintain it. Regular aerobic exercise can meaningfully slow the decline. It reflects changes in maximum heart rate, muscle mass, and other age-related factors.
What is the average VO2 max for my age?
Roughly, for men: 47 (20s), 40 (30s), 35 (40s), 29 (50s), 25 (60s), 21 (70s) ml/kg/min. For women: about 37, 28, 26, 23, 20, and 17. These are general reference values and individuals vary.
Can older adults improve their VO2 max?
Yes. VO2 max responds to training at any age. The natural trend is a gradual decline, but consistent aerobic and interval training can raise an older adult's VO2 max and slow the drop. Older adults may need more recovery between hard sessions.
Why does VO2 max matter more as you age?
Because it reflects whole-body cardiorespiratory health, maintaining it helps preserve independence, endurance, and resilience. Higher fitness is strongly associated with lower mortality risk, so protecting your VO2 max as you age is powerful for long-term health.
How do I find out my VO2 max?
The accurate way is a lab test, exercising while a mask measures your oxygen use directly. Wearables estimate it from heart rate and pace but can be off by a meaningful margin. A lab test gives a true number plus the training zones to act on it.
References
- Kaminsky LA, et al. "Reference Standards for Cardiorespiratory Fitness Measured With Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing: Data From the FRIEND Registry." Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2015; and updated standards, Mayo Clinic Proceedings 2022 (50th-percentile treadmill VO2 values by age and sex).
- American College of Sports Medicine. ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, 11th edition (uses FRIEND reference data).
- Fleg JL, et al. "Accelerated longitudinal decline of aerobic capacity in healthy older adults." Circulation. 2005 (VO2 max decline with age; ~10%/decade context).
- Mandsager K, et al. "Association of Cardiorespiratory Fitness With Long-term Mortality." JAMA Network Open. 2018;1(6):e183605.