Maximum heart rate is the highest number of beats per minute your heart can reach during all-out effort. It is the reference point for almost every heart-rate-based exercise prescription: moderate exercise is usually defined as a percentage of it, and training zones are built on it. Measuring it directly means a maximal exercise test, so most people use an age-based estimate. This calculator shows six published formulas side by side, which also reveals how much uncertainty is in any single number.
The figures are averages. Your own maximum can sit 10 beats or more above or below them and does not reflect your fitness level: a fit person and an unfit person of the same age tend to have similar maximum heart rates.
How to use the max heart rate calculator
- Enter your age. Maximum heart rate falls gradually through adult life.
- Select your sex. The Gulati formula was developed for women and appears only for the female option.
- Compare the formulas. They agree closely around age 30 to 40 and diverge at younger and older ages.
- Use the average, or Tanaka’s formula, as a working estimate, and set exercise zones with the Heart Rate Zone Calculator.
Max heart rate formulas
Tanaka: 208 − 0.7 × age (2001)
Gellish: 207 − 0.7 × age (2007)
Nes (HUNT study): 211 − 0.64 × age (2013)
Inbar: 205.8 − 0.685 × age (1994)
Gulati (women): 206 − 0.88 × age (2010)
Sources: Fox SM, Naughton JP, Haskell WL, Ann Clin Res 1971;3:404–432; Tanaka H, Monahan KD, Seals DR, J Am Coll Cardiol 2001;37:153–156 (meta-analysis of 351 studies); Gellish RL et al., Med Sci Sports Exerc 2007;39:822–829; Nes BM et al., Scand J Med Sci Sports 2013;23:697–704 (the HUNT fitness study of 3,320 healthy adults); Inbar O et al., Med Sci Sports Exerc 1994;26:538–546; Gulati M et al., Circulation 2010;122:130–137.
Worked example
A 40-year-old man.
- Fox: 220 − 40 = 180 bpm
- Tanaka: 208 − 0.7 × 40 = 180 bpm
- Gellish: 207 − 28 = 179 bpm; Nes: 211 − 25.6 = 185.4 bpm; Inbar: 178.4 bpm
- Average of the five: 181 bpm
A 55-year-old woman gets 220 − 55 = 165 from Fox but only 206 − 0.88 × 55 = 157.6 from Gulati.
Maximum heart rate by age for each formula
| Age | Fox 220 − age | Tanaka | Gellish | Nes (HUNT) | Inbar | Gulati (women) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 200 | 194 | 193 | 198 | 192 | 188 |
| 30 | 190 | 187 | 186 | 192 | 185 | 180 |
| 40 | 180 | 180 | 179 | 185 | 178 | 171 |
| 50 | 170 | 173 | 172 | 179 | 172 | 162 |
| 60 | 160 | 166 | 165 | 173 | 165 | 153 |
| 70 | 150 | 159 | 158 | 166 | 158 | 144 |
| 80 | 140 | 152 | 151 | 160 | 151 | 136 |
What affects maximum heart rate
- Age. It falls roughly 0.6 to 1 beat per minute each year, which every formula captures.
- Genetics. People of the same age and fitness can differ by 20 beats or more.
- Training type. It is a little lower for swimming and cycling than for running, because the body is supported or the muscle mass in use is smaller.
- Medicines and conditions. Beta blockers, other heart medicines and some conditions lower it, making formulas unreliable.
- Not fitness. A higher maximum is not a sign of better fitness.
Using your estimate
Use it to set exercise intensity: the American Heart Association describes moderate exercise as 50 to 70 percent and vigorous as 70 to 85 percent of maximum heart rate. See the Target Heart Rate Calculator, Zone 2 Heart Rate Calculator and VO2 Max Calculator for related tools, and the Running Pace Calculator for running paces.
This page is for information only and is not medical advice. If you have a heart condition, take medicines that affect heart rate, or are new to exercise, check with a doctor before starting a training plan.
Sources
- Fox SM, Naughton JP, Haskell WL. Physical activity and the prevention of coronary heart disease. Ann Clin Res 1971;3:404–432.
- Tanaka H, Monahan KD, Seals DR. Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited. J Am Coll Cardiol 2001;37:153–156.
- Gellish RL, et al. Longitudinal modeling of the relationship between age and maximal heart rate. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2007;39:822–829.
- Nes BM, et al. Age-predicted maximal heart rate in healthy subjects: the HUNT fitness study. Scand J Med Sci Sports 2013;23:697–704.
- Inbar O, et al. Normal cardiopulmonary responses during incremental exercise in 20- to 70-yr-old men. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1994;26:538–546.
- Gulati M, et al. Heart rate response to exercise stress testing in asymptomatic women: the St. James Women Take Heart project. Circulation 2010;122:130–137.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my maximum heart rate?
The simplest formula subtracts your age from 220 (Fox et al., 1971). More recent equations fitted to larger groups, such as Tanaka’s 208 − 0.7 × age, tend to be more accurate, especially over age 40. The calculator shows six so you can compare.
Why do the formulas disagree?
Each was derived from a different group of people and testing method. They differ most at the extremes of age: the 220 − age rule underestimates maximum heart rate in older adults and overestimates it in the young, which Tanaka et al. found by analysing 351 studies.
How accurate are they?
They are averages. For any one person the actual maximum heart rate typically differs from the estimate by about 10 beats per minute in either direction. A supervised maximal exercise test is the only reliable way to find yours.
Is there a formula for women?
Gulati and colleagues (Circulation 2010;122:130–137) found that the standard formulas overestimated maximum heart rate in women and proposed 206 − 0.88 × age based on 5,437 asymptomatic women. The calculator shows it for the female option.
Should I train at my maximum heart rate?
No. You almost never need to reach it. It is the ceiling used to set training zones; see the Heart Rate Zone Calculator and Target Heart Rate Calculator. Do not attempt a maximal effort test without medical clearance if you have heart disease risk factors.