Measure it the Pro Way
Go to a lab where VO2 max tests are done routinely—often it’ll be affiliated with a university or hospital, a physical therapy office, or a sports medicine facility. With the explosion of interest in VO2 max and innovations that have made testing easier, these aren’t hard to find. The test will cost about $100 to $300. Just make sure the test will be done by an exercise physiologist or similar professional, not a random person who just learned to work the devices. (And here’s what to know to make the test less daunting.) In addition to your raw VO2 number, make sure the facility can give you your heart rate range in different training zones, so you’ll know, for instance, what your heart rate should be to build mitochondria (zone 2) and what range helps you improve VO2 max.
Estimate it
Use a watch and see how far you can run in 12 minutes on a flat surface (ideally, a track), maintaining as steady a pace as possible while covering as much distance as possible. Then plug your result into this equation: 35.97 x (your 12-minute distance in miles) – 11.29 = VO2 max.
Use a Smartwatch—with Caution
Don’t blindly trust the number on your watch, says Dr. Baggish. It’s calculated using proprietary measures, so docs really don’t know what each company is basing it on, and it can be inaccurate. But you can use your watch to track trends and see if your VO2 is going in the right direction. Dr. Cheema says his patients with smartwatches who treat the number as a game are more motivated to change and more inspired to sustain what they do to push it up. “They create an immediate feedback loop, which builds accountability and encourages more consistent, informed habits.” One smart tactic: Get a pro test and input that number into your watch so you have an accurate baseline.
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