The idea that we have a “fitness age,” distinct from our calendar years, first arose more than a decade ago, when studies began showing that aerobic fitness, or, more technically, VO2max, predicts longevity and health span as well as or better than more-widely used health markers, like blood pressure, insulin sensitivity and even smoking history.
Inspired by this research, scientists in Norway began directly measuring VO2max in thousands of Norwegians, aged between 20 and 90, while, at the same time, checking various markers of their general health, including body composition, blood pressure, heart rate and exercise habits, as well as eventual longevity.
Collating this data, they discovered that some of these health markers correlated closely with VO2max and could be used to estimate aerobic capacity. They created an algorithm that would do just that, cross-checked VO2max and longevity, and, finally, developed a simple, online fitness age calculator.
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In 2015, she was a co-author and participant in an unpublished study of Senior Olympians. The Senior Olympics are a biennial, elite competition for athletes over the age of 50. More than 4,000 of the athletes used the calculator to assess their fitness age for the study. At the time, their average chronological age was 68.
But their average fitness age was 43 — that’s 25 years younger.
The Fitness Calculator mentioned in the story:
And - since its all about your Vo2 Max: Exercise, VO2 max, and longevity | Mike Joyner, M.D
5 Likes
Tim
#2
Why has no one taken the test and posted their scores? Agetron? Joseph LaVelle? RapAdmin?
I took the test. Chronological age 60, age per the test 37. I am skeptical but I’d like to believe it’s true!
If VO2max is the thing we actually want to measure, I sure wish it was easier to measure…
1 Like
cl-user
#4
Just did. 23 instead of 62. That test is useless.
Those “age models” are almost always linear models which makes them totally off outside of a narrow range. Same for Levine’s PhenoAge clock BTW.
3 Likes
Aw…I am a big believer in biomarkers that show me 30 to 40 years younger… A little self deception can go a long way from a motivation standpoint, when taking drugs that may take a decade to show measurable results 
2 Likes
Playing around with it, the test cares the most about your weight. If I keep everything else the same and make myself fat, then my fitness age goes up decades. If I drop 10 pounds it makes my fitness age 30. I suppose that could be true. But the test is supposed to correlate with V02max, and does obesity necessarily reduce V02max? Can you be obese and have a good V02max? Or, if not obese, could you be very muscular (causing your weight to be high) and still have a good V02max? Feel like that should be possible but I’m not sure.
Thiago
#8
VO2 is measured in ml/kg/min. Thus, an increase in weight generally results in a lower VO2 max.
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