VO2max from power | Pedal Brief

Storer et al. 1990

Ramp peak

115 men and 116 women, healthy and sedentary, aged 20–70.

–ml/kg/min

–L/min

Add age and sex.

Power: Wmax from a cycle-ergometer ramp test rising 15 W a minute to exhaustion.
Equation: Men: VO2max (ml/min) = 10.51 × W + 6.35 × kg − 10.49 × age + 519.3Women: VO2max (ml/min) = 9.39 × W + 7.7 × kg − 5.88 × age + 136.7
Published fit: Men: R = 0.939, SEE = 212 ml/min · Women: R = 0.932, SEE = 147 ml/min

Ramp peak

5,100 adults in the FRIEND registry (3,378 men, 1,722 women).

49.1ml/kg/min

3.44L/min

Power: Work rate from a graded maximal cycle-ergometer test (the abstract doesn’t give the step size).
Equation: VO2max (ml/kg/min) = 1.74 × (W × 6.12 ÷ kg) + 3.5
Published fit: Overall relative bias 0.51%

Best 5 min

46 road cyclists, age 38 ± 9, VO2max 61.1 ± 9.1 ml/kg/min.

–ml/kg/min

–L/min

Needs best 5-min average power. Switch above.

Power: Mean power of a 5-minute maximal bout, divided by body weight (W/kg).
Equation: VO2max (ml/kg/min) = 16.6 + 8.87 × 5-min W/kg
Published fit: R² 95% credible interval .61–.77 (5-min test model)

An external check in 49 male cyclists (Borszcz et al. 2024) found this equation underestimated measured VO2max by 6.6 ml/kg/min on average.

Estimates from published equations: not a lab test, not medical advice, and not tested by us.

Quick tables, ml/kg/min

Ramp-test peak power, 70 kg rider, age 40

Peak W	Storer men	Storer women	FRIEND
150	30.3	26.4	26.3
200	37.8	33.1	33.9
250	45.3	39.8	41.5
300	52.8	46.5	49.1
350	60.3	53.2	56.7
400	67.8	60.0	64.4
450	75.3	66.7	72.0

Best 5-minute power

Each equation is copied from its paper and shown on its own, never averaged. Use the power each one asks for: the same rider’s ramp peak and 5-minute power differ. Read on 18 Oct 2026. Left out: Hawley & Noakes 1992 (its equation is only in the paywalled full text) and the ACSM leg-ergometry equation (an oxygen-cost equation for steady work, not read from an ACSM source). Sources: Storer et al. 1990, Med Sci Sports Exerc; FRIEND 2018, Eur J Prev Cardiol; Sitko et al. 2022, Int J Sports Physiol Perform; Borszcz et al. 2024, Int J Sports Physiol Perform (external check).