Cooper test: 12-minute run to estimate VO2max
Load12-minute running field test aiming to cover the greatest possible distance, used to estimate VO2max.
Created by Dr Kenneth Cooper in 1968, this test involves running 12 minutes at the highest sustainable pace on a flat track. The formula estimates VO2max (mL/kg/min) = (distance in metres - 504.9) / 44.73. Example: 3000 m in 12 min = estimated VO2max of 55.8 mL/kg/min. Highly accessible, less precise than a lab test but allows regular monitoring. Limitations: it also measures the ability to sustain intense effort, not metabolic VO2max alone. Perform it in stable fitness conditions, without a hard session the day before.
In TriPaced:
TriPaced does not yet handle the Cooper test natively, but you can enter your estimated VO2max in Settings > Physiological profile. This value calibrates your running zones (Z1 to Z5) and adjusts session pace prescriptions.
Source Cooper, K.H. (1968): A means of assessing maximal oxygen intake, JAMA, 203(3):201-204