The Cooper Test, also known as the Cooper 12-minute run, is a fitness test that measures a person’s aerobic endurance capacity. Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper, an exercise physiologist for the U.S. Air Force, introduced the test in the 1960s.
The Cooper test was widely utilized to assess the fitness levels of football referees at both amateur and professional tiers, including those affiliated with the FA (English Football Association).
One of the most prominent examples in soccer where the Cooper Test has been employed is with the Brazilian national soccer team. Brazil’s soccer federation is known to utilize a variety of fitness tests, including the Cooper Test, to evaluate the fitness of its players. The national teams of other countries have also used it in the past as part of their fitness evaluations.
Test Procedure
The Cooper Test is relatively straightforward to perform:
- After a proper warm-up, a participant is required to run or walk as far as possible within 12 minutes.
- The distance covered in those 12 minutes is then used to calculate the participant’s aerobic fitness level (VO₂ Max).
The Cooper Test estimates a person’s VO₂ max, representing the maximum volume of oxygen a person can use during intense exercise. While it does not measure VO₂ max directly (which would typically require lab equipment), the Cooper Test offers a close approximation.
Calculating Aerobic Fitness
The Cooper Test is a straightforward method to estimate VO₂ max based on the distance covered in 12 minutes. The distance covered can be converted into an estimated VO₂ max using the following formula:
Estimated VO2 Max = 35.97 x (distance in miles) - 11.29
