The treatments guide
VO2 max test
A treadmill or bike test with a mask, measuring how well your body uses oxygen at hard effort.
Awaiting clinical review. Written carefully from the sources below, but not yet signed off by a qualified clinician. Please don't use it to make decisions about your health. How we review.
What the evidence says
VO2 max is a well-established marker of fitness and of long-term health. The test also gives training zones you can actually use.
- Good for
- Endurance athletes, the data-curious, a fitness baseline.
- Not for
- Anyone with heart symptoms or a condition who hasn't been cleared by a doctor for maximal exercise.
- Risks
- It's maximal exercise: hard, briefly unpleasant, rarely risky in healthy people.
- Insurance
- Rarely covered.
- Typical cost
- $150–$300 a testAn estimate, still being checked. Ask for the full price, and check your coverage, before you book.
Questions to ask
- What will this tell us, and what will we do differently because of it?
- What does it cost in total, and will insurance or my HSA/FSA cover it?
- Who will explain the results to me?
General education, not medical advice. Choose licensed providers, and talk to a doctor if you have a health condition, are pregnant or take medication. Medical disclaimer.
