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Resting Heart Rate VO₂ Max Calculator (Uth method)
Estimate your VO₂ max from your resting heart rate with the Uth heart-rate-ratio method — no exercise test required. The formula is VO₂ max ≈ 15 × (max HR / resting HR), in ml/kg/min. For example, a max HR of 190 and a resting HR of 50 gives 15 × (190 / 50) = 15 × 3.8 = 57 ml/kg/min. A lower resting heart rate, the mark of an aerobically fit heart, raises the estimate. The catch is that the method needs your maximum heart rate: if you haven't measured it, this calculator substitutes the Tanaka estimate (208 − 0.7 × age), which means the result is an estimate resting on another estimate — we flag that honestly. Enter your resting HR and either a measured max HR or your age, and the tool computes your VO₂ max and classifies it against age/sex fitness norms. It is a field estimate, not a lab VO₂ max, so use it as general fitness guidance.
Uth resting-HR: VO₂ max ≈ 15 × (max HR / resting HR)
- Max HR 190, resting HR 50 → 57 ml/kg/min
- Unmeasured max HR → Tanaka estimate (208 − 0.7 × age): an estimate on an estimate
Frequently asked questions
How do you estimate VO₂ max from resting heart rate?
The Uth method uses the ratio between your maximum and resting heart rates: VO₂ max ≈ 15 × (max HR / resting HR), in ml/kg/min. A max HR of 190 with a resting HR of 50 gives about 57. A lower resting HR raises the estimate because a fitter heart pumps more blood per beat. It needs no exercise test, but it does require a max HR value.
What if I don't know my maximum heart rate?
The Uth method silently depends on your max HR. If you haven't measured it, this calculator substitutes the Tanaka estimate (208 − 0.7 × age), so your VO₂ result then rests on two estimates stacked together. For a firmer number, measure your true max HR in a maximal test, or use the Cooper run or Rockport walk field test instead.