💪 METs to VO2 Max Calculator
Convert MET values to VO2 max, estimate calories per minute, and calculate treadmill VO2 using the ACSM equation.
| Activity | METs | VO2 (ml/kg/min) | Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleeping | 0.9 | 3.2 | Rest |
| Sitting / desk work | 1.5 | 5.3 | Sedentary |
| Walking 2.5 mph | 3.0 | 10.5 | Light |
| Walking 3.5 mph | 3.5 | 12.3 | Light |
| Cycling easy (<10 mph) | 4.0 | 14.0 | Moderate |
| Brisk walk 4 mph | 5.0 | 17.5 | Moderate |
| Cycling moderate (10–12 mph) | 8.0 | 28.0 | Vigorous |
| Swimming laps (moderate) | 8.0 | 28.0 | Vigorous |
| Jogging 5.5 mph | 9.0 | 31.5 | Vigorous |
| Running 6 mph | 10.0 | 35.0 | Hard |
| Running 7 mph | 11.5 | 40.3 | Hard |
| Running 8 mph | 13.5 | 47.3 | Very Hard |
| Running 10 mph | 16.0 | 56.0 | Very Hard |
| Elite racing pace | 20.0+ | 70.0+ | Maximal |
| Peak METs | VO2 Max (ml/kg/min) | Fitness Category (Male) | Fitness Category (Female) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 21.0 | Poor | Fair |
| 8 | 28.0 | Fair | Good |
| 10 | 35.0 | Average | Excellent |
| 12 | 42.0 | Good | Superior |
| 14 | 49.0 | Excellent | Elite |
| 16 | 56.0 | Superior | Elite |
| 18 | 63.0 | Elite | World Class |
| 20 | 70.0 | World Class | World Class |
| 22 | 77.0 | World Class | World Class |
| 25 | 87.5 | World Class | World Class |
METs and VO2 max are very close, and understanding them helps to estimate the level of physical fitness. VO2 max shows the biggest amount of oxygen that the body can take in through the lungs, move through blood and use in the muscles. This is a key measure for sports of long duration because athletes with higher VO2 max can push more strongly for more time.
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METs or metabolic units measure the use of oxygen in milliliters per kilo per minute. One METs matches the oxygen cost during sitting in calm, namely 3.5 mL/kg/min. Two METs means that the body needs twice more oxygen or energy than while resting.
What METs and VO2 Max Mean
Like this, at bigger METs the body works that much harder.
The exchange between METs and VO2 max is fairly easy. To convert VO2 max to METs, simply divide the value by 3.5. For instance, an athlete with VO2 max of 60 mL/kg/min, divided by 3.5, results in around 17 METs.
Rather, to go in the other direction, you multiply the METs by 3.5, which gives a guess of VO2 max. Like this, a person that reaches 17.3 METs in a fitness test would have VO2 max of around 60.5.
The usual fitness standard for an active firefighter is 12 METs, which matches 42 mL/kg/min. Here the body uses 12 times more oxygen than while sitting at rest. Usually running a mile at 10-minute pace needs around 10 METs, which is about 35 mL/kg/min.
A normal 30-year-old person should pass the 35 mL range. Top athletes on the other hand can reach more then 90 mL/kg/min.
Testing of VO2 max helps to find training zones, including the second zone of easy rhythm, lactate threshold and the VO2 max itself, which makes training more efficient. Values like VO2 max and METs from tests like the 6-minute walk test have big benefit for predicting heart diseases and death risk in patients suffering heart failure.
When fitness improves, exercise at the same load seems easier. This happens because of higher VO2 max and lower heart rhythm for that load, because it becomes a smaller part of the maximum. But the real energy cost of the activity stays the same.
A common tool for estimating aerobic intensity is the METs.
VO2 max keeps growing with the total minutes of exercise weekly, which sets it apart from many other health measures that tend to flatten after a certain amount of weekly activity. CrossFit exercises in METCONs do not usually improve VO2 max well. Steady endurance work better builds it.
The highest levels of VO2 max are found typically in endurance athletes. The use ofVO2 max testing in CrossFit stays limited.
