Max Heart Rate: Formulas, How to Measure It and What It Is For
Max heart rate is the highest number of beats per minute your heart can reach during an all-out effort. It is the reference on which almost all heart rate training zones are based, so if it is estimated wrong, all your zones will be off. The problem is that the best-known formula, 220 minus your age, can miss by more than ten beats. In this guide I explain which formulas exist, how to do a test to find yours and what it is useful for.
What max heart rate is
It is the ceiling of beats you reach when you give absolutely everything. It depends mainly on genetics and age: it drops slowly over the years and barely changes with training.
An important detail: having a high or low max heart rate says nothing about your fitness. Two runners at the same level can have maximums of 175 and 200. What does change with training is your resting heart rate and the heart rate you run at for a given pace, as I explain in the guide on how to lower your heart rate while running.
Formulas to calculate max heart rate
The most famous one is 220 minus your age. It is easy to remember, but it has a margin of error of about 10 to 12 beats either way, and it tends to underestimate the maximum in older people.
A more accurate alternative is the Tanaka formula, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: 208 minus 0.7 times your age. For women, the Gulati formula is also used: 206 minus 0.88 times your age.
| Age | 220 − age | Tanaka (208 − 0.7 × age) |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | 195 | 190 |
| 35 | 185 | 184 |
| 45 | 175 | 177 |
| 55 | 165 | 170 |
They are all averages from large groups of people. They give you a starting point, but your real maximum can be quite far off.
How to measure your max heart rate with a test
If you want your real value, the best option is an exercise test at a sports medicine center. If you are healthy and already train regularly, you can also do a field test. If you are over 35 or 40, have cardiovascular risk factors or haven’t trained in a while, see your doctor first.
Use a chest strap, because wrist sensors often fail at high intensities. Warm up for 15 easy minutes with a few strides. Find a hill that takes 2 to 3 minutes and run up it three times, harder each time, jogging down to recover. On the last one, go all out for the final 30 to 60 seconds. The highest value you see is your maximum, or very close to it.
Another option is to look at the highest heart rate you have recorded in the final sprint of a 5K or 10K run all out. It is usually a few beats below your real maximum.
What knowing your max heart rate is useful for
For calculating your heart rate training zones. With your maximum, the heart rate zone calculator gives you the range for each zone, from easy runs to intervals.
As a reference, zone 2 is usually 70 to 80% of your maximum and threshold 85 to 90%. It is explained in the guides on how to train in zone 2 and on threshold training.
Common max heart rate mistakes
The first is trusting the formula blindly. If your zones feel strange, for example zone 2 feels almost like walking or you have a lot left in the tank at threshold, your real maximum is probably different.
The second is using wrist heart rate for short intervals. It is slow to react and sometimes locks onto your cadence instead. For quality work, a chest strap is much more reliable.
And the third is comparing your maximum with other people’s. It isn’t a fitness score: it is a personal trait, like your height.
Conclusion
Max heart rate is the basis of your heart rate zones, and the 220 minus age formula can be quite far off. Use the Tanaka formula as a starting point, measure it with a hill test or an exercise test if you want precision, and calculate your zones from that value. And remember that a high or low maximum says nothing about how fit you are. Choose well, run better.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my max heart rate?
As an estimate, with the Tanaka formula: 208 minus 0.7 times your age. To know your real value, do an exercise test or a hill field test with a chest strap.
Is the 220 minus age formula accurate?
It is an average with an error of about 10 to 12 beats. It works as a guide, but your real maximum can be quite different.
Does max heart rate go up with training?
No. It depends on genetics and age and barely changes with training. What improves is your resting heart rate and your heart rate at a given pace.
Is a high max heart rate good?
It says nothing about your fitness. Two runners at the same level can have very different maximums.
What is knowing your max heart rate useful for?
For calculating your heart rate training zones, like zone 2 or threshold, and training at the right intensity in each session.
