For those who have an Oura ring - there is an option to do a 6 minute walk test which calculates a VO2 max based on how far you walk in 6 minutes.
Look for the 3 bars in the top right corner and scroll down to heart health and take the test.
Mine reports as 44
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I did my VO2 max at UC Davis Sports Medicine Clinic only because of standardized methods, their experience and comparison data they have across age groups and different athletic abilities. They have great consultation included to improve performance. I was stunned to learn that ultra athletes can have VO2 Max near 150.
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I think thatâs unlikely. You might be thinking of another stat. Maybe HRV? No one has ever recorded a VO2 max over 100.
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I had to take him at his word since I didnât know anything about levels at the time. But I do recall he said there were some (few) that were above even ultra athlete level which I can only assume place in that category. All I do know, is Iâm not one of them.
It is interesting about the standardization. When you look at the Cooper test, distance covered over 12 minutes, it doesnât account for the reduced mobility of an older walker/runner. If you wanted an equivalent, you could put a younger person in tight jeans or a tuxedo to making him/her âequivalentâ a 70 year oldâs mobility when taking the test. I think using a rowing machine like Concept 2 would be a fairer standardization between age groups for VO2 max. VO2max Calculator for Indoor Rowing | Concept2
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I donât know if if makes any difference in the test measurements or results between equipment used, but I was hooked up to all the respiratory, CV monitoring gear and did bicycling various levels to (guess calibrate), ramp up, then flat out to failure and a bit beyond.
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Yes, basically accurate. From Gemini:
The absolute highest laboratory-recorded VO2 max values ever reported for human athletes hover between 97.5 and 101.1 mL/kg/min. These figures represent the extreme upper ceiling of mammalian oxygen kinetics.
The two highest recorded data points in sports science literature are:
1. Kristian Blummenfelt: 101.1 mL/kg/min
In 2026, Norwegian triathlete and Olympic champion Kristian Blummenfelt disclosed laboratory testing data showing a peak value of 101.1 mL/kg/min, with an absolute oxygen uptake exceeding 7.7 liters per minute.
- Critical Nuance: While publicized by his coaching team, values exceeding 100 mL/kg/min are viewed with substantial skepticism by mainstream exercise physiologists. At these extreme margins, even minor calibration variances in metabolic carts, gas analyzers, or ambient humidity sensors can artificially inflate the reading.
2. Oskar Svendsen: 97.5 mL/kg/min
The highest peer-reviewed and widely accepted scientific baseline belongs to Norwegian cyclist Oskar Svendsen. Tested in 2012 at the University of Lillehammer as an 18-year-old junior time-trialist, he registered a verified 97.5 mL/kg/min. Svendsen later walked away from professional cycling, demonstrating that an anomalous physiological engine does not automatically guarantee sustained competitive dominance.
Aerobic Capacity Hierarchy
| Cohort | VO2 Max Range (mL/kg/min) | Physiological Reality |
|---|---|---|
| Sedentary Adults | 30 - 40 | Baseline survival kinetics; unconditioned stroke volume. |
| Recreationally Active | 45 - 55 | Developed capillary density and regular stroke volume. |
| Elite Endurance Tier | 75 - 85 | Standard professional range for cyclists, runners, and cross-country skiers. |
| Genetic Anomalies | 90+ | Structural outliers with massive left-ventricular volume. |
The Physiological Constraints
An athleteâs VO2 max is strictly governed by the Fick Equation, which dictates that oxygen consumption equals cardiac output (stroke volume multiplied by heart rate) multiplied by the arterio-venous oxygen difference (the amount of oxygen peripheral muscles can actually extract from the blood).
At values crossing 95 mL/kg/min, the limit is no longer about training volume or mental grit. The ceiling becomes structural and hereditary:
- Left Ventricular Volume: The heart must physically hold and pump a massive volume of blood per beat (stroke volume) without wall thickening that compromises diastolic filling.
- Pulmonary Diffusion Limitation: At extreme cardiac outputs, blood moves through the lungs so rapidly that it can outrun the time required for oxygen to diffuse across the alveolar-capillary membrane, causing arterial hypoxemiaâmeaning the lungs themselves become the bottleneck.
- Efficiency vs. Capacity: A high VO2 max does not account for fractional utilization (the percentage of that max an athlete can sustain) or gross mechanical efficiency. An athlete with an 80 mL/kg/min engine who is highly efficient often beats a 95 mL/kg/min anomaly who wastes kinetic energy.