Use a lab test with a metabolic cart during graded exercise
Measure oxygen consumption in milliliters per minute
Divide by body weight in kilograms to get mL/kg/min
Take the highest oxygen uptake reached during the test as VO2 max
Use a treadmill or bike protocol with increasing intensity until exhaustion
Estimate VO2 max from a submaximal fitness test using heart rate and workload
Estimate VO2 max from a running test using distance and time
Estimate VO2 max from a walking test using pace, heart rate, age, and sex
Estimate VO2 max from wearable device data using heart rate and pace
Use the formula VO2 max = maximal oxygen uptake ÷ body weight
Use the formula VO2 max = (VO2 in L/min × 1000) ÷ body weight in kg
Compare test results against age- and sex-based reference norms