How to Measure Your Fitness: The Cooper Test

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The Cooper Test is a long-standing, internationally used measure of a runner’s fitness.

It involves a simple test – run as far as you can in 12 minutes – and can give a pretty accurate measure of a runner’s fitness level and give a good estimation of their VO2 Max.

Many athletes use the Cooper Test to benchmark their running; they’ll perform one test, then structure their training plan accordingly to try and improve and beat their previous time.

In this article, we’re going to look at:

  • The history of the Cooper Test
  • The Relationship Between The Cooper Test and VO2 Max
  • How To Perform The Cooper Test (with tips)
  • Interpreting Your Results
  • Alternatives to The Cooper Test (Other Fitness Tests)

Ready?

Let’s jump in!

the cooper test

What is the Cooper Test?

The Cooper test is a fitness test used to estimate an individual’s aerobic fitness or VO2 max.

It was designed by Kenneth H. Cooper in 1968 for the US Military and has been used by several coaches across a variety of sports ever since.

The original paper is still available: Cooper K. A Means of Assessing Maximal Oxygen Intake Correlation Between Field and Treadmill Testing. Journal of American Medical Association. 1968;203(3):201-204)

The efficient functioning of the cardiovascular system of an athlete is a key determinant in performance. The ability to supply the muscles continuously with adequate levels of oxygen is sometimes referred to as the aerobic capacity.

The Cooper Test

Measuring aerobic fitness by getting a participant to push their body to the limit provides an accurate measure of this aerobic capacity. Moreover, one of the most widely used terms in sports science when referring to an athlete´s aerobic capacity is VO2 max.

VO2 Max – What Is It?

VO2 max is defined as the maximum rate of oxygen consumption as measured during incremental exercise. It indicates how efficient an individual uses oxygen while exercising.

Read More: What Is VO2 Max?

The accurate testing of VO2 max normally requires access to a laboratory and can be expensive, but there are a few aerobic tests that can be used to predict VO2 max scores; Cooper Test being one of the most widely used.

Its popularity is due to how easy it is to perform with a limited amount of equipment needed, you can perform it yourself, and it is relatively simple to interpret the results of the test.

the cooper test

The units of measurement used when presenting values are litres of O2 per minute (l.min-1) or divided by body weight to get a score relative to a person’s body weight (ml.kg-1.min-1)

According to a study by Wilmore and Costill, a typical VO2 max value for the average young untrained male is about 3.5 litres per minute or 45 ml.kg-1.min-1 and their female equivalents would score about 2.0 litres/minute or 38 ml.kg-1.min-1.

Related: What’s a Good VO2 Max? Average VO2 Max By Age And Sex

The scores of VO2 max at the elite level vary across sports.

Intriguingly, the highest scores recorded come from cross country skiers, with top class cyclists and athletes also recording values that typically exceed 80 ml.kg-1.min-1 and occasionally exceeding 90 ml.kg-1.min-1. World class female endurance athletes have recorded scores exceeding 70 ml.kg-1.min-1.

the cooper test

The table below shows a number of those values with their respective sports:

VO2 max (ml/kg/min)AthleteGenderSport/Event
96.0Espen Harald BjerkeMaleCross Country Skiing
96.0Bjorn DaehlieMaleCross Country Skiing
92.5Greg LeMondMaleCycling
85.0Dave BedfordMale10K runner
85.0John NgugiMaleCross Country Runner
84.6Chris FroomeMaleCycling
84.4Steve PrefontaineMale10k runner
73.5Greta WaitzFemaleMarathon runner
71.2Ingrid KristiansenFemaleMarathon Runner

source: MACKENZIE, B. (2001)

How To Perform The Cooper Test

the cooper test

The test is relatively easy to perform, but the following things should be taken into consideration:

The goal of the Cooper test is to run and cover as much distance as possible in 12 minutes.

Tips for Running Your Cooper Test:

The Cooper Test

1. Warm-up: Prior to starting the test, ensure that you warm-up for 20-30 minutes, including light jogging and strides to get the body prepared.

2. Course: The test should ideally be carried out on a standard 400m running track, or find an accurately measured flat course of the same distance (using your GPS watch).

3. Visuals: Put a visual aid (a cone or a water bottle) at the 200m point of the lap, to assist with pacing and help determine total distance covered.

4. Timing: You could use a 12-minute countdown function on your watch if performing the test on your own. This way you can focus on keeping count of the laps and then you can stop the test once your watch beeps. Alternatively, if you have someone helping record the test, they can set you off and keep count of the laps and time.

How To Calculate Your 12-Minute Run Cooper Test Results

The Cooper Test

After completing the test, you could calculate your estimated VO2 max by using the following formulas

Kilometres: VO2 max = (22.4 x your distace in kilometres) – 11.3

Miles: VO2 max = (36 x your distance in miles) – 11.3

For instance, imagine you cover 3200m. Your estimated VO2 max would be (22.4 x 3.2) -11.3 = 60.3.

You can then use your test result to compare your performance to the norms for both your age and gender.

VO2 Max Charts

Instead of using the calculation and getting your VO2 max, you can use the distance achieved to determine how you compare to others of similar age and gender.

 

Cooper Test Results for Males (in metres)

AgeExcellentAbove AveAverageBelow AvePoor
Male 20-29> 2800m2400 – 2800m2200 – 2399m1600 – 2199m< 1600m
Males 30-39> 2700m2300 – 2700m1900 – 2299m1500 – 1999m< 1500m
Males 40-49> 2500m2100 – 2500m1700 – 2099m1400 – 1699m< 1400m
Males 50+> 2400m2000 – 2400m1600 – 1999m1300 – 1599m< 1300m

Cooper Test Results for Females (in metres)

AgeExcellentAbove AveAverageBelow AvePoor
Females 20-29> 2700m2200 – 2700m1800 – 2199m1500 – 1799m< 1500m
Females 30-39> 2500m2000 – 2500m1700 – 1999m1400 – 1699m< 1400m
Females 40-49> 2300m1900 – 2300m1500 – 1899m1200 – 1499m< 1200m
Females 50+> 2200m1700 – 2200m1400 – 1699m1100 – 1399m< 1100m

How To Structure Your Training Around Your Cooper Test Result

How to Measure Your Fitness: The Cooper Test 1

Generally, the test can be performed at any stage of the year, but the start of the cross-country season (September-October in the northern hemisphere) is traditionally a good time to do it.

This will allow the athlete and coach to use the test result as a marker or benchmark of current fitness and guide them in developing the tailored training plan.

After the test, calculate your speed per 400m lap. For instance, a distance of 3200m= 90 secs per 400m. A typical week based on the test result would include:

  • Run three times the distance covered in 45 minutes. For example – 3.2k run on test = 9.6k in 45 mins.
  • 3 x 2k at the speed with a 90 secs rest. For example – 3.2k run on test = 90secs/400m = 2k in 7.30 mins x 3 with 90 secs rest.
  • Run a series of 200m at a pace 8 seconds per 200m faster than the test run speed. For example, 3.2k run on test = 90 secs/400, when halved = 45 secs minus 8 seconds = 37 secs/200m. Start with 8 reps of the 200s and build up to 16 over a 2-month period.

In summary, the best way to make the most of your training is to use a logical and structured approach. Moreover, you should add some progression into your training and a gradual increase of 10% over a 2-month period would be sufficient.

Cooper Test Alternatives – Other Tests To Measure Your Fitness

The Cooper Test

There are several other popular tests that are used to measure aerobic fitness and offer a good alternative to the Cooper Test.  

Although it is worth restating that you will be required to have access to more equipment, assistance from others, and potentially need to have access to specific indoor sports facilities.

The Bleep Test

Perhaps the 20m shuttle test or more commonly known as the bleep test is familiar to you. The test consists of the participant running between two lines 20m apart in time to recorded beeps.

At the beginning the speed is quite slow, but this increases gradually every minute and the time between the beeps is reduced. If the participant fails to make it to the line before the beep, they are eliminated. It requires access to a bleep test audio file.

More info: https://www.topendsports.com/testing/tests/20mshuttle.htm

15 Minutes Balke Test

Another favorite of many running coaches is the 15 minute Balke Test. This is named after Bruno Balke who designed it, and it is very similar to the Cooper Test. The participant must cover as much distance in 15 minutes and it should be performed on a running track or flat measured course.

More info: https://www.topendsports.com/testing/tests/balke-15min.htm

Astrand Treadmill

Per-Olof Astrand is a well-known name in the world of physiology and his treadmill test is one of his most widely utilized and cited work. The test involves maintaining a constant running speed with a 2.5% increase in gradient every two minutes, until the participant reaches the point of exhaustion.

More Info: https://www.topendsports.com/testing/tests/astrand-treadmill.htm

Also check out Jeff Galloway’s Magic Mile method for predicting your race times!

Final Thoughts On The Cooper Test

The Cooper Test

Whichever test you choose to perform, remember that an important output from the test is that if repeated 12 weeks later, you should be aiming to improve the distance covered by between 5-10%.

This would indicate that (barring injuries and significant interruptions) that your training has been well structured, and you have been using appropriate paces with the view of improving your VO2 max.

After all, one of the Frank Horwill’s most famous quotes was “He who trains the same, remains the same.

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Cathal Logue is an avid runner and coach. After competing against Sir Mo Farah aged 16, he suffered several injuries throughout his 20s. Despite not reaching the same heights as some of his contemporaries, he still holds impressive PBs of 9.09 for 3k, 15.36 for 5k, and 33.36 for 10k. His goal now is to help runners of all abilities reach their potential and likes exploring the mountains north of his current home, Madrid, Spain.

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