By Zencalcy Editorial TeamLast reviewed About us
This calculator estimates VO2 max from the ratio between your maximum and your resting heart rate. Because both inputs are easy to obtain, it offers a rough picture of aerobic fitness without a laboratory test, but it is a coarse estimate and not a measurement.
Estimate VO2 max from the ratio of maximum to resting heart rate.
VO2 max ≈ 15.3 × (max HR / resting HR)
The multiplier of 15.3 comes from a simple ratio rule and gives a broad estimate. It ignores training history, body composition, and how the two heart rates were measured, so treat the result as a rough guide only.
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| max HR | Your maximum heart rate in beats per minute. |
| resting HR | Your resting heart rate in beats per minute. |
With a maximum of 190 bpm and a resting rate of 60 bpm, the ratio is about 3.17, so VO2 max is estimated at 15.3 × 3.17 ≈ 48 ml/kg/min, which sits in the good band. A resting rate of 70 bpm would lower it to about 42 ml/kg/min.
The Uth-Sorensen method estimates maximal oxygen uptake, the standard measure of aerobic capacity, from a simple ratio of heart rates. It multiplies fifteen by your maximum heart rate divided by your resting heart rate. A person with a maximum of 190 and a resting rate of 60 would have a ratio near 3.17, giving an estimate of about 47.5 millilitres of oxygen per kilogram per minute.
The logic is that a large gap between how fast the heart beats at rest and at maximum reflects a strong, efficient pump with a large stroke volume. A trained heart moves more blood per beat, so it needs fewer beats at rest and can still reach a high peak, which widens the ratio.
The formula assumes both heart rates are measured carefully, with resting rate taken at true rest and maximum taken from genuine all out effort rather than an age estimate. Because it leans on a ratio, an error in either number shifts the result. It is a convenient field estimate that suits people with no lab access, not a substitute for a measured test.
Continue with the Anaerobic Threshold Calculator, Critical Power Calculator, or the Heart Rate Recovery Calculator — or browse more heart rate & performance tools and all sports calculators.
No. A lab test measures oxygen use directly. This ratio rule gives a broad estimate that is useful for tracking a rough trend, not for a precise figure.
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Last reviewed: September 2026. See how we build and check every tool on the about page.
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Content updated: September 2026