VO2max in cross-country skiing
Home of the highest values ever recorded. VO2max in cross-country skiing: why skiers hold the highest values ever measured, and what the rest of us can learn from how they train.
VO2max by level
The highest values ever reported come from skiers — e.g. around 96 ml/kg/min attributed to Bjørn Dæhlie.
Data table
| Level | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Untrained adults | 35–45 | 30–38 |
| Recreational skiers | 45–55 | 40–48 |
| National level | 65–78 | 55–66 |
| World class | 80–90 | 65–80 |
What the sport demands
Our rating, 1–5Why VO2max matters in cross-country skiing
Skiing uses the arms, trunk and legs at once, so the heart can pump oxygen to a huge mass of working muscle.
Elite skiers popularised high-volume, mostly easy training with a few hard sessions — the 80/20 pattern.
Sessions that raise it
Uphill intervals
5 × 5 min hard on a hill (poles or running), jog down.
Long distance
2–3 h easy; roller-ski or hike in summer.
Double-poling
Upper-body endurance sets.
General information, not medical advice. Get medical advice before hard intervals if you have a heart condition or symptoms such as chest pain.
Estimate your own number with the VO2max calculator and compare it with the norms for your age.
Sources
- Saltin B, Åstrand PO. Maximal oxygen uptake in athletes. J Appl Physiol, 1967.
- Seiler S. What is best practice for training intensity and duration distribution in endurance athletes? Int J Sports Physiol Perform, 2010.
Ranges are typical lab values reported in the literature, rounded; individual athletes vary. Demand ratings are our editorial judgement.