What is the typical adult VO2 in mL/kg/min?

What is the typical adult VO2 in mL/kg/min?

• A. 1-2
• B. 3-4
• C. 5-6
• D. 7-8

Answer: (B)

VO2 in mL/kg/min expresses how much oxygen a person consumes per minute for each kilogram of body weight. At rest, metabolic demand is modest and is conventionally about 3.5 mL/kg/min, which is defined as 1 MET. For a typical 70-kg adult, that equals roughly 250 mL of O2 per minute. So, the value around 3–4 mL/kg/min best fits the typical resting oxygen consumption. Choosing a much lower value (1–2) would imply an unusually low resting metabolic rate, while higher ranges (5–6 or 7–8) reflect light activity or higher metabolic demand, not resting.

VO2 in mL/kg/min expresses how much oxygen a person consumes per minute for each kilogram of body weight. At rest, metabolic demand is modest and is conventionally about 3.5 mL/kg/min, which is defined as 1 MET. For a typical 70-kg adult, that equals roughly 250 mL of O2 per minute. So, the value around 3–4 mL/kg/min best fits the typical resting oxygen consumption.

Choosing a much lower value (1–2) would imply an unusually low resting metabolic rate, while higher ranges (5–6 or 7–8) reflect light activity or higher metabolic demand, not resting.