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Background Cardiovascular endurance, as measured by maximum oxygen consumption (VO 2max), is an important indicator of overall physical fitness and cardiovascular health. While VO₂max reference values exist for Western and Indian populations, Sri Lanka lacks specific data, which may lead to inaccuracies in assessing and interpreting cardiovascular fitness among young adults in the country.Objectives This study aimed to establish reference values for VO 2max among young adults in Sri Lanka and to compare these values with the standards of Western, Indian and American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).Methodology A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 685 healthy undergraduates aged 20–25 years from various faculties of the University of Peradeniya. VO 2max was assessed using the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) 3-minute step test. The collected data were analysed with IBM SPSS Statistics V.22 to determine VO2max percentiles and to identify significant differences between Sri Lankan, Western, Indian and ACSM reference standards.Results The study found mean±SD (SD) VO 2max of 45.05±3.13 mL/kg/min for males and 36.02±2.49 mL/kg/min for females. Sri Lankan VO2max values were generally comparable to Indian standards but significantly lower than Western values (p<0.05). Percentile analysis further classified VO2max values for males and females, establishing performance ranging from ‘very poor’ to ‘superior’ according to the ACSM guidelines.Conclusion This study provides reference values for VO 2max in Sri Lankan young adults, supporting more accurate cardiovascular fitness assessments in clinical and fitness settings. These findings reveal significant differences in aerobic capacity across Sri Lankan and Western populations, as well as similarities between Sri Lankan and Indian populations. This study should be further improved to represent the entire population across all age groups in Sri Lanka, thereby enabling the development of more accurate, separate reference standards.