Presidential Test of Fitness

Independent reference — not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the President's Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition.

Good VO₂max for women aged 20–29

A good VO₂max for women aged 20–29 is around 37.6 ml/kg/min — the median. 56 ranks superior; 21.7 or below is poor. See the VO₂max calculator.

VO₂max by percentile — women aged 20–29 (ml/kg/min)
PercentileVO₂maxRating
5th21.7Poor
10th23.9Below average
25th30.5Below average
50th37.6Good
75th44.7Excellent
90th51.3Superior
95th56Superior

Verified source: VO₂max reference percentiles by age & sex — Kaminsky LA, Arena R, Myers J — Mayo Clinic Proceedings, FRIEND Registry, "Reference Standards for Cardiorespiratory Fitness…" 90(11):1515–1523, Table 3 (2015 (measured treadmill CPX)). Reproduced verbatim and checked cell-by-cell. Every percentile cell reproduced verbatim from Table 3 ("Men/Women from FRIEND") and verified against the primary publication. The field-test estimation equations are public-domain published formulas (Cooper, Kline, McArdle, Uth, ACSM). Official source · Sources & methodology

Frequently asked questions

What is a good VO₂max for women aged 20–29?

About 37.6 ml/kg/min is a good, median (50th-percentile) VO₂max for women aged 20–29. 56 ml/kg/min ranks superior (95th percentile), while 21.7 ml/kg/min or below is poor.

What is the average VO₂max for women aged 20–29?

The median VO₂max for women aged 20–29 is 37.6 ml/kg/min — half score above it and half below (measured by cardiopulmonary exercise testing in the FRIEND registry).