Estimate VO2 max from the last completed stage of the one-minute, 20-meter multistage shuttle run using the published Leger regression.
What This Beep Test Calculator Estimates
This calculator turns the last fully completed stage of the one-minute, 20-meter multistage shuttle run into a final running speed, then applies the published Léger regression to estimate maximal oxygen uptake. The result is reported in milliliters of oxygen per kilogram of body mass per minute (mL/kg/min).
The test starts at 8.5 km/h and increases by 0.5 km/h with each one-minute stage. If the last completed stage is S, final speed X is 8 + 0.5 × S. This page accepts whole stages 1 through 21 and does not attempt to infer a stage from an incomplete shuttle count.
The Named VO2 Regression
For participants ages 8 through 17, the L̩ger equation is VO2 max = 31.025 + 3.238X Р3.248A + 0.1536AX, where X is final speed in km/h and A is age in years. The adult form holds age at 18, which reduces the same expression to approximately VO2 max = -27.4 + 6.0X. The calculator applies that adult convention from age 18 through 50.
| Item | How it is used | Important limit |
|---|---|---|
| Age | Used directly from 8 through 17; held at 18 for adults | The cited validation work covered children and adolescents and adults through age 50 |
| Last completed stage | Converted to speed with 8 + 0.5 × stage | Use the last whole one-minute stage completed under the 20 m protocol |
| Final speed | Entered into the Léger VO2 regression | It is protocol speed, not an independently measured maximum running speed |
| Predicted VO2 max | Reported in mL/kg/min | It is a regression estimate, not direct gas analysis |
Worked Example
A 16-year-old who completes stage 10 has a final stage speed of 13.0 km/h. The calculator evaluates 31.025 + 3.238 × 13 – 3.248 × 16 + 0.1536 × 16 × 13, producing an estimated VO2 max of approximately 53.10 mL/kg/min.
For a 30-year-old at the same stage, the regression age is held at 18. The resulting estimate is approximately 50.60 mL/kg/min. These examples demonstrate the equation; they are not performance standards or training targets.
Use the Correct 20-Meter Protocol
- Measure a level 20-meter course and use audio made for the one-minute multistage shuttle protocol.
- Run to the opposite line in time with each signal, turn, and continue as the stage speed rises.
- Apply the protocol’s stopping rule consistently and record the last whole stage completed.
- Keep course length, audio version, surface, footwear, temperature, and encouragement similar when comparing tests over time.
Different shuttle distances, stage lengths, starting speeds, or audio tables are different tests. A score from a 15-meter shuttle, an older two-minute-stage protocol, or a school-specific scoring table should not be entered as though it came from this protocol.
Accuracy and Safety Limits
The regression predicts group-level laboratory VO2 max from field-test performance. Turning skill, pacing, motivation, surface grip, course measurement, audio timing, illness, heat, altitude, and fatigue can all affect an individual’s estimate. Direct respiratory-gas testing under appropriate supervision is a different measurement.
This is a maximal field test, not medical clearance. Do not begin or continue because of a calculator result. Use appropriate screening and qualified supervision for your setting. Stop the test for chest discomfort, faintness, severe or unusual shortness of breath, or other concerning symptoms, and seek appropriate medical help. People with health conditions, symptoms, pregnancy-related concerns, or medicines that affect exercise response should ask an appropriate clinician whether maximal testing is suitable.
Sources
Léger, L. A., Mercier, D., Gadoury, C., and Lambert, J. The Multistage 20 Metre Shuttle Run Test for Aerobic Fitness. Journal of Sports Sciences, 1988.
Léger, L., and Gadoury, C. Validity of the 20 m Shuttle Run Test with 1 min Stages to Predict VO2max in Adults. Canadian Journal of Sport Sciences, 1989.