How to increase VO2 max
Hard intervals of 3-5 minutes once or twice a week, easy cardio around them, and 8-12 weeks.
To increase VO2 max, do one or two interval sessions a week with repeats of 3 to 5 minutes at a hard effort, about 90-95% of your maximum heart rate, and keep the rest of your cardio easy. Most of the gain comes in 8 to 12 weeks. A meta-analysis of 28 trials put the average gain from intervals at 5.5 ml/kg/min, and for a man in his 30s at the median of 39.7, adding 6 ml/kg/min moves him from the 50th to the 68th percentile among men his age.
Measure your VO2 max first
A lab treadmill test is the only direct measure. A watch estimate is close on average but can be well off for one person (VO2 max by age covers how far). A free alternative is an all-out mile or 1.5-mile run: the lookup below turns the time into a VO2 max estimate and ranks it, or ranks a lab or watch number you already have.
VO₂max percentile calculator
Enter a VO₂max from a lab test or your watch, plus your sex and age.
For context, the median VO2 max among adults who took a lab test is 46.5 ml/kg/min for men and 36.6 for women aged 18-29, falling to 35.3 and 25.7 at 40-49. VO2 max by age has the full chart for both sexes from 18 to 69.
How much can you increase VO2 max?
In a meta-analysis of 28 controlled trials covering 723 healthy adults aged 18-45, interval training raised VO2 max by 5.5 ml/kg/min and continuous endurance training by 4.9, compared with people who did not exercise. The least fit participants and the longest programs gained the most (Milanović et al., 2015, Sports Medicine). Fitter people start from a higher base: in moderately trained men who began at about 55-60 ml/kg/min, 8 weeks of 4 x 4-minute intervals added 7.2% (Helgerud et al., 2007).
The tables show what that kind of gain is worth. Each row starts at the median VO2 max for the age band and ranks the same person 3 and 6 ml/kg/min higher, with the same reference data as the VO2 max chart.
Men
| Age | Median VO2 max | +3 ml/kg/min | +6 ml/kg/min |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-29 | 46.5 | 62nd | 73rd |
| 30-39 | 39.7 | 59th | 68th |
| 40-49 | 35.3 | 60th | 70th |
| 50-59 | 29.2 | 61st | 72nd |
| 60-69 | 24.6 | 64th | 76th |
Women
| Age | Median VO2 max | +3 ml/kg/min | +6 ml/kg/min |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-29 | 36.6 | 62nd | 73rd |
| 30-39 | 28.3 | 61st | 72nd |
| 40-49 | 25.7 | 64th | 76th |
| 50-59 | 22.9 | 67th | 80th |
| 60-69 | 19.6 | 70th | 85th |
Another way to read it: the median man in his 50s is 6.1 ml/kg/min below the median man in his 40s, and the median woman in her 40s is 2.6 below the median woman in her 30s. Compare that with the average interval gain of 5.5 ml/kg/min in the meta-analysis. The percentiles are from the FRIEND registry of directly measured treadmill tests, where the median is 39.7 ml/kg/min for men and 28.3 for women aged 30-39.
How to increase VO2 max: what works
- Make the hard sessions long intervals. In the Helgerud trial, four groups did the same total work three times a week. The 4 x 4-minute group and a 15 s on / 15 s off group raised VO2 max; the long slow running and threshold groups did not improve it significantly. A meta-analysis of 53 randomised trials found that only intervals of 2 minutes or longer, with at least 15 minutes of hard work per session, in programs of 4 to 12 weeks or longer, beat steady cardio (Wen et al., 2019, J Sci Med Sport). In a separate pooled analysis of 37 interval studies, the protocols with longer intervals produced the largest gains (Bacon et al., 2013, PLoS ONE).
- Go hard enough. The Helgerud intervals were run at 90-95% of maximum heart rate. Without a heart-rate monitor, that is an effort where you can say a word or two but not a sentence. If the last repeat feels easy, add a repeat next week rather than running each one faster.
- Keep the other cardio easy. Steady cardio raises VO2 max too, by 4.9 ml/kg/min in the meta-analysis, and easy sessions add volume without costing you the next hard day. The common mistake is doing every session at the same medium-hard effort.
- Keep lifting. A systematic review of 24 studies in runners found that strength training generally improved running economy and time-trial performance while VO2 max was typically unaffected (Blagrove et al., 2018, Sports Medicine). Lifting does not hold VO2 max back. Avoid intervals the day after heavy squats or deadlifts.
VO2 max workouts
Warm up for 10 minutes easy before each one, and cool down for 5-10 minutes. The 4 x 4 is the tested protocol; the others follow the interval lengths and work time the meta-analyses favour, and the doses are coaching practice rather than tested packages.
| Workout | Hard work | Recovery | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 x 4 min at 90-95% of max heart rate | 16 min | 3 min easy jog | The default hard session |
| 5 x 3 min hard | 15 min | 2-3 min easy jog | Shorter sessions |
| 6 x 2 min hard | 12 min | 2 min easy jog | Your first weeks of intervals |
| 5-6 x 800 m at interval pace | 15-22 min | 2:30-3 min jog | A track |
| 20-30 x 30 s hard, 30 s easy | 10-15 min | Built in | No track or GPS, or you dislike long repeats |
If you run, how to run a faster mile prints interval and 400 m repeat paces from your current mile time.
How to improve VO2 max: a sample week
Fit this around your lifting with at least a day between hard sessions. Every fourth week, cut about a quarter of your cardio time to recover, then retest after 8 to 12 weeks.
| Sessions a week | Session 1 | Session 2 | Session 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 4 x 4 min hard, 3 min easy | Easy 30-40 min | — |
| 3 | 4 x 4 min hard, 3 min easy | Easy 30-45 min | 5 x 3 min hard, or 20-30 x 30/30 |
How long does it take to increase VO2 max?
Plan on 8 to 12 weeks. The Helgerud gains came in 8 weeks at three sessions a week. In a study of 12 young adults training six days a week, VO2 max rose 20% on the treadmill and 25% on the bike in 10 weeks. The longer programs in the Milanović meta-analysis gained more than the shorter ones.
Keeping it is cheaper than building it. After those 10 weeks, the same people cut to 2 or 4 days a week for 15 weeks at the same intensity and session length, and their VO2 max held (Hickson and Rosenkoetter, 1981, Med Sci Sports Exerc). It was a small study, but the lesson is the one coaches use: when time is short, keep the hard session and cut the rest.
Does losing weight raise VO2 max?
On paper, yes. VO2 max is usually reported per kilogram of bodyweight, so the same heart and lungs score higher on a lighter body. For the median man in his 30s at 179 lb, losing 10 lb with no change in fitness moves 39.7 to 42.0 ml/kg/min, from the 50th to the 57th percentile for his age. That is arithmetic, not a training effect: the fitness itself is unchanged.
Get a plan built from your numbers
The training plan starts from your own mile or 1.5-mile time, sets your interval and easy paces from it, and fits the hard sessions around your lifting, with lighter weeks and a retest at the end. If endurance is your weakest quality, it gets more of the week. The preview is free. The full 12 weeks cost $3.99 plus tax.
Build your 12-week planSet your days, session length and equipment. Built from your test results.Questions
How do I increase my VO2 max?
Do one or two interval sessions a week with repeats of 3 to 5 minutes at a hard effort, such as 4 x 4 minutes with 3 minutes of easy jogging between, and keep your other cardio easy. Expect most of the gain over 8 to 12 weeks.
How fast can you increase VO2 max?
Measurable gains take weeks, not days. In one trial, 4 x 4-minute intervals three times a week raised VO2 max 7.2% in 8 weeks in moderately trained men. Young adults in a 10-week, six-day-a-week program gained about 20% on the treadmill.
Is HIIT or steady cardio better for VO2 max?
Both work. A meta-analysis of 28 trials found gains of 5.5 ml/kg/min for interval training and 4.9 for continuous training against no exercise, and 1.2 more for intervals when the two were compared directly.
Does losing weight increase VO2 max?
The usual VO2 max number is per kilogram of bodyweight, so it rises when you lose weight and keep the same aerobic engine. For the median man in his 30s at 179 lb, losing 10 lb with no change in fitness moves 39.7 to 42.0 ml/kg/min.
Can you increase VO2 max after 40?
Yes. The meta-analysis of 28 trials covered adults aged 18-45 and found no clear effect of age on the size of the gain. Leave more recovery time between hard sessions as you get older.
How do I keep my VO2 max once I have built it?
Keep the intensity. In a 15-week follow-up, people who cut from six to 2 days a week at the same intensity and session length kept their VO2 max.