Rowing VO2max Estimator
By the Watta Team · Updated
Enter a 2K time, your weight, sex and training level to estimate VO2max with the formulas Concept2 publishes from Fritz Hagerman's data. A 7:00 2K at 80 kg gives about 55.0 mL/kg/min for a male who is not highly trained.
VO2max Estimator from 2K Time
Uses the regressions Concept2 publishes from Fritz Hagerman's rowing data (Y = 10.7 − 0.9 × time (min), VO2max = Y × 1000 ÷ kg). An estimate from a 2K time — only a laboratory gas-exchange test measures VO2max.
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Estimated VO2max from a 2K, for an 80 kg man and a 65 kg woman
Computed with the same functions as the calculator above, so the two cannot disagree.
| 2K time | Male, 80 kg | Band | Female, 65 kg | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6:30 | 60.6 mL/kg/min | Elite | 64.8 mL/kg/min | Elite |
| 7:00 | 55.0 mL/kg/min | Excellent | 57.7 mL/kg/min | Elite |
| 7:30 | 49.4 mL/kg/min | Good | 50.5 mL/kg/min | Excellent |
| 8:00 | 43.7 mL/kg/min | Average | 43.4 mL/kg/min | Good |
| 8:30 | 38.1 mL/kg/min | Average | 36.2 mL/kg/min | Average |
| 9:00 | 32.5 mL/kg/min | Below Average | 29.1 mL/kg/min | Below Average |
Hagerman’s regressions of 2K performance against laboratory VO2max in rowers, using the general (not highly trained) coefficients — ticking “highly trained” in the calculator switches to the athlete regression and raises the estimate for fast times. An estimate from one number, not a measurement: a lab test on the same athlete can land several points either side.
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About This Calculator
The rowing VO2max estimator predicts maximal oxygen uptake from a 2,000-metre ergometer time using the regressions Concept2 publishes, which were fitted by Dr Fritz Hagerman (Ohio University) against laboratory VO2max tests of rowers. VO2max, measured in mL/kg/min, is the standard index of aerobic capacity; the 2K is a useful field predictor because it demands near-maximal aerobic output for 6–8 minutes. The formulas take the form Y = a − b × time (in decimal minutes), where Y is absolute VO2 in litres per minute, with different coefficients for sex, weight class and whether the athlete is highly trained; relative VO2max is Y × 1000 ÷ body weight. It is an estimate: only a gas-exchange test in a laboratory measures VO2max.
How This Works
Enter your 2K time, body weight, sex and whether you would describe yourself as a highly trained rower (Concept2 uses separate regressions for highly trained and not highly trained athletes). The calculator picks the matching coefficients — for example Y = 15.7 − 1.5 × time for highly trained men over 75 kg, or Y = 10.7 − 0.9 × time for men who are not highly trained — computes absolute VO2 in L/min, divides by body weight for mL/kg/min, and shows an indicative fitness band.
Formula
Examples
2K of 7:00 at 80 kg, male, not highly trained
Y = 10.7 − 0.9 × 7.0 = 4.40 L/min; relative VO2max ≈ 55.0 mL/kg/min — "Excellent" on general adult norms.
2K of 6:20 at 90 kg, male, highly trained
Y = 15.7 − 1.5 × 6.33 = 6.20 L/min; relative VO2max ≈ 68.9 mL/kg/min — "Elite".
2K of 7:40 at 65 kg, female, highly trained
Y = 14.9 − 1.5 × 7.67 = 3.40 L/min; relative VO2max ≈ 52.3 mL/kg/min — "Excellent".
Worked examples are generated from the same formulas as the calculator above.
Benchmarks
| Level | Value |
|---|---|
| Elite male | 60+ mL/kg/min |
| Excellent male | 52–60 mL/kg/min |
| Good male | 45–52 mL/kg/min |
| Elite female | 56+ mL/kg/min |
| Excellent female | 47–56 mL/kg/min |
More reference tables — 2K, 5K and 500m standards, watts by level, stroke rates and a split-to-watts table — are on the Stats & Benchmarks page.
In the Watta App
Watta keeps your 2K personal best per machine, so you can re-run this estimate whenever you set a new one. The app does not calculate VO2max itself.