Cardio reference table

Yo-Yo test table — IR1 and IR2 distance to VO₂ max

Every Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test distance converted to an estimated VO₂ max: IR1 from 400 to 4,000 m and IR2 from 200 to 2,200 m, in 80 m steps, with the fitness rating that VO₂ max earns a man and a woman in their twenties.

Yo-Yo IR1 — distance to VO₂ max

Distance	Shuttles	VO₂ max (ml/kg/min)	Rating, men 20–29	Rating, women 20–29
400 m	10	39.8	Poor	Good
480 m	12	40.4	Poor	Good
560 m	14	41.1	Poor	Good
640 m	16	41.8	Fair	Good
720 m	18	42.4	Fair	Good
800 m	20	43.1	Fair	Good
880 m	22	43.8	Fair	Good
960 m	24	44.5	Fair	Excellent
1,040 m	26	45.1	Fair	Excellent
1,120 m	28	45.8	Good	Excellent
1,200 m	30	46.5	Good	Excellent
1,280 m	32	47.2	Good	Excellent
1,360 m	34	47.8	Good	Excellent
1,440 m	36	48.5	Good	Excellent
1,520 m	38	49.2	Good	Excellent
1,600 m	40	49.8	Good	Superior
1,680 m	42	50.5	Good	Superior
1,760 m	44	51.2	Excellent	Superior
1,840 m	46	51.9	Excellent	Superior
1,920 m	48	52.5	Excellent	Superior
2,000 m	50	53.2	Excellent	Superior
2,080 m	52	53.9	Excellent	Superior
2,160 m	54	54.5	Excellent	Superior
2,240 m	56	55.2	Excellent	Superior
2,320 m	58	55.9	Superior	Superior
2,400 m	60	56.6	Superior	Superior
2,480 m	62	57.2	Superior	Superior
2,560 m	64	57.9	Superior	Superior
2,640 m	66	58.6	Superior	Superior
2,720 m	68	59.2	Superior	Superior
2,800 m	70	59.9	Superior	Superior
2,880 m	72	60.6	Superior	Superior
2,960 m	74	61.3	Superior	Superior
3,040 m	76	61.9	Superior	Superior
3,120 m	78	62.6	Superior	Superior
3,200 m	80	63.3	Superior	Superior
3,280 m	82	64.0	Superior	Superior
3,360 m	84	64.6	Superior	Superior
3,440 m	86	65.3	Superior	Superior
3,520 m	88	66.0	Superior	Superior
3,600 m	90	66.6	Superior	Superior
3,680 m	92	67.3	Superior	Superior
3,760 m	94	68.0	Superior	Superior
3,840 m	96	68.7	Superior	Superior
3,920 m	98	69.3	Superior	Superior
4,000 m	100	70.0	Superior	Superior

Yo-Yo IR2 — distance to VO₂ max

Distance	Shuttles	VO₂ max (ml/kg/min)	Rating, men 20–29	Rating, women 20–29
200 m	5	48.0	Good	Excellent
280 m	7	49.1	Good	Excellent
360 m	9	50.2	Good	Superior
440 m	11	51.3	Excellent	Superior
520 m	13	52.4	Excellent	Superior
600 m	15	53.5	Excellent	Superior
680 m	17	54.5	Excellent	Superior
760 m	19	55.6	Superior	Superior
840 m	21	56.7	Superior	Superior
920 m	23	57.8	Superior	Superior
1,000 m	25	58.9	Superior	Superior
1,080 m	27	60.0	Superior	Superior
1,160 m	29	61.1	Superior	Superior
1,240 m	31	62.2	Superior	Superior
1,320 m	33	63.3	Superior	Superior
1,400 m	35	64.3	Superior	Superior
1,480 m	37	65.4	Superior	Superior
1,560 m	39	66.5	Superior	Superior
1,640 m	41	67.6	Superior	Superior
1,720 m	43	68.7	Superior	Superior
1,800 m	45	69.8	Superior	Superior
1,880 m	47	70.9	Superior	Superior
1,960 m	49	72.0	Superior	Superior
2,040 m	51	73.0	Superior	Superior
2,120 m	53	74.1	Superior	Superior
2,200 m	55	75.2	Superior	Superior

How to read the Yo-Yo test table

Your score is the total distance before the second missed beep — count the 40 m shuttles you completed and multiply by 40, or read the shuttles column. Find that distance under the test you ran: IR1 starts at 10 km/h and suits any squad; IR2 starts at 13 km/h and is only meaningful for well-trained athletes, so a distance means different things in the two tables and the rows are not interchangeable. The VO₂ max is Bangsbo, Iaia and Krustrup's population regression, indicative rather than precise for one person; the rating columns place it on the Cooper Institute norms for a 25-year-old, so an older athlete should check the linked cardio fitness score for their own age band.

Yo-Yo test calculatorEnter your test version and distance to get the VO₂ max, METs and shuttle count for any result, including distances between the rows here.

Repeated-sprint capacity moves in weeks — the coach builds the interval sessions and re-tests you on the grid.

How is VO₂ max calculated from the Yo-Yo test?

IR1: VO₂ max = distance in metres × 0.0084 + 36.4. IR2: VO₂ max = distance × 0.0136 + 45.3. Both are from Bangsbo, Iaia and Krustrup, Sports Medicine 2008, fitted on their own protocol — 2,000 m on IR1 gives about 53.2 ml/kg/min and 1,000 m on IR2 about 58.9.

What is a good Yo-Yo test score?

On IR1, recreational players typically cover 1,000 to 1,600 m, competitive amateurs 1,600 to 2,200 m and professional footballers 2,000 to 2,800 m, with elite midfielders past 3,000 m. On IR2 the numbers are roughly a third to half of those. Because the test tracks high-intensity running in matches, a change of 200 m six weeks apart is more useful than any single number.