What Is a Good VO2 Max for Men?
For men, a "Good" VO2 max means being in the 60th–79th percentile for your age. In your 20s that's roughly 51–55 ml/kg/min; by your 50s it drops to 35–40. Men typically test 15–20% higher than women of the same age, so always use same-sex norms.
| Age | Average (50th) | Good (60th+) | Excellent (80th+) | Superior (95th+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20–29 | 48.0 | 50.9 | 57.4 | 66.3 |
| 30–39 | 42.4 | 45.1 | 51.6 | 59.8 |
| 40–49 | 37.8 | 40.7 | 47.4 | 55.6 |
| 50–59 | 32.6 | 35.4 | 41.7 | 50.7 |
| 60–69 | 28.2 | 30.7 | 36.4 | 43.0 |
| 70–79 | 24.4 | 26.8 | 32.5 | 39.7 |
Source: The Cooper Institute.
Reading the table
The "Good" column is the 60th-percentile breakpoint — values at or above it put you in the top 40% of men your age. "Excellent" marks the 80th percentile (top 20%), and "Superior" marks the 95th (top 5%). For most healthy men, moving from Average to Good is an achievable 12–24 week training goal; moving from Good to Excellent typically takes 1–2 years of consistent work.
Why men's norms are higher
Men's VO2 max values exceed women's by 15–20% at every age because of three structural differences: higher hemoglobin concentration (greater oxygen-carrying capacity), larger heart size relative to body weight (higher stroke volume), and greater lean mass percentage (more metabolically active tissue). These gaps are not trainable — so male and female VO2 max scores are never directly comparable.
See the women's page for the parallel thresholds.