In which units is VO2 max typically expressed?

VO2 max, which stands for maximal oxygen consumption, is a key indicator of aerobic fitness. It measures the maximum amount of oxygen a person can utilize during intense exercise. This value is typically expressed in milliliters of oxygen consumed per kilogram of body weight per minute, hence the unit ml/kg/min.

This expression allows for a standardized way to compare VO2 max across individuals of different sizes, as it relates the oxygen consumption to body weight. This is particularly important in physical education and exercise science, where understanding an athlete's relative fitness level is crucial for training and performance evaluations.

The other units, such as g/kg/h, ml/min, and kg/min, do not adequately convey the relationship between oxygen consumption and body weight on a per minute basis, which makes ml/kg/min the most appropriate and widely accepted unit for expressing VO2 max.