What Is a Good VO2 Max for Women?
For women, a "Good" VO2 max means being in the 60th–79th percentile for your age. In your 20s that's roughly 40–45 ml/kg/min; by your 50s it drops to 21–28. Always compare your score to female norms — male values are 15–20% higher across every bracket.
| Age | Average (50th) | Good (60th+) | Excellent (80th+) | Superior (95th+) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20–29 | 37.6 | 40.4 | 46.9 | 56.0 |
| 30–39 | 30.2 | 32.6 | 37.9 | 45.8 |
| 40–49 | 26.7 | 29.0 | 34.4 | 41.7 |
| 50–59 | 23.4 | 25.1 | 29.1 | 35.9 |
| 60–69 | 20.0 | 21.5 | 24.9 | 29.4 |
| 70–79 | 18.3 | 19.3 | 21.6 | 24.1 |
Source: The Cooper Institute.
Reading the table
The "Good" column is the 60th-percentile threshold — hit it and you're in the top 40% of women your age. "Excellent" marks the 80th (top 20%), "Superior" the 95th (top 5%). Women typically see 15–25% VO2 max improvements in the first 12 weeks of structured training — larger relative gains than men in many cohort studies.
Training context for women
Menstrual-cycle phase can influence submaximal test outcomes (heart rate runs slightly higher in the luteal phase). For repeat-test reliability, retest at the same cycle point. Postmenopausal women still respond strongly to VO2 max training — a 2021 meta- analysis in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found 12% average gains after 12 weeks of combined zone-2 + HIIT programming in women aged 50–70.
See the men's page for parallel thresholds.