Max heart rate calculator
The best age-based estimate of maximum heart rate is the Tanaka formula: 208 − 0.7 × age. At 40 that is 180 bpm. The well-known 220 − age gives the same at 40 but drifts off at younger and older ages. Every formula can be 10 bpm or more off for an individual, so the calculator also shows how to find your real max.
| Formula | Max HR |
|---|---|
| Fox (220 − age) | 180 bpm |
| Tanaka (208 − 0.7 × age) | 180 bpm |
| Gellish (207 − 0.7 × age) | 179 bpm |
| Nes (211 − 0.64 × age) | 185 bpm |
Tanaka et al. (2001) fits large groups best. Any formula can be 10+ bpm off for you; a measured max always wins.
How the max heart rate calculator works
Your maximum heart rate is the highest number of beats per minute your heart reaches during an all-out effort. You cannot measure it without a very hard test, so most athletes start with an age-based formula. This calculator runs the best-known formulas side by side and shows how far apart they are. It is one of the free LeCoach cycling calculators.
The formulas:
- Tanaka: 208 − 0.7 × age. Built from a large analysis of many earlier studies, and the best general fit for groups of adults.
- Fox: 220 − age. The classic, and the easiest to remember.
- Gellish: 207 − 0.7 × age. Almost the same line as Tanaka, one beat lower.
- Nes: 211 − 0.64 × age. From healthy Norwegian adults; it gives higher values in older age groups.
- Gulati (women): 206 − 0.88 × age. Built from women only, and shown when you choose Female.
Max heart rate by age: the formulas compared
| Age | Tanaka | Fox (220 − age) | Gellish | Nes | Gulati (women) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 194 | 200 | 193 | 198 | 188 |
| 30 | 187 | 190 | 186 | 192 | 180 |
| 40 | 180 | 180 | 179 | 185 | 171 |
| 50 | 173 | 170 | 172 | 179 | 162 |
| 60 | 166 | 160 | 165 | 173 | 153 |
| 70 | 159 | 150 | 158 | 166 | 144 |
220 − age matches Tanaka at 40 but drifts off on both sides: 6 beats higher at 20, 6 lower at 60 and 9 lower at 70. The spread between formulas also grows with age: at 70 they range from 144 to 166 bpm.
Treat any of these as a starting point. Being 10 bpm or more above or below the formula is normal, and a high or low max says nothing about your fitness.
How to find your real max heart rate
A measured value always beats a formula. The simplest way is to look back: the highest heart rate you have seen at the end of a hard race, a flat-out sprint finish or the top of a very hard climb is a good minimum for your max. Ignore single spikes from a wrist sensor; use a chest strap if you can.
If you want to test it, a safe field test on the bike looks like this:
- Warm up for 15 to 20 minutes, building from easy to moderate.
- Ride 3 minutes hard at a pace you could only just hold for that time, then 2 minutes easy.
- Ride 3 more minutes, starting hard and building steadily, with the last 30 to 60 seconds all-out, seated or out of the saddle.
- Note the highest heart rate at the end. That number, or a beat or two above it, is close to your max.
- Cool down for 10 to 15 minutes.
Use a steady climb or an indoor trainer, do it rested, and never when you are ill.
Safety first. This test pushes your heart to its limit. Do not do it if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, chest pain, fainting or palpitations, take medicine that affects heart rate, or are new to hard exercise. In those cases, talk to your doctor first, who may suggest a supervised exercise test instead. Stop at once if you feel chest pain, dizziness or unusual breathlessness.
Want this worked out for you every day? LeCoach builds your training around your own numbers.
Try LeCoach for freeCommon mistakes
- Using 220 − age as fact. It is a population average. Your own max can be well above or below it.
- Trusting a wrist sensor in a sprint. Optical sensors can lag or spike during hard efforts. A chest strap is more reliable.
- Thinking a higher max means you are fitter. Max heart rate is mostly genetic and age-related. Training changes it very little.
- Using a running max for cycling. Many athletes reach a few beats higher when running than on the bike. Use the value from the sport you train in.
When the numbers change
- With age. Max heart rate falls slowly over the years, about 0.7 bpm a year on the Tanaka line. Re-check it every few years.
- With medication. Beta blockers and some other medicines lower your heart rate. Ask your doctor how to set training intensity.
- After illness or a long break, you may not reach your usual max for a while. Do not chase it.
Using your max heart rate
Use your max to set heart rate zones for cycling or to find your Zone 2 heart rate. Zones from threshold heart rate are more precise, but a measured max is a fair start. Pair it with your resting heart rate by age for zones based on heart rate reserve, and read our guide to cycling training zones for what each zone does.
LeCoach reads your heart rate zones from your Intervals.icu profile, and your resting heart rate and HRV each morning.
Sources
- Tanaka H, Monahan KD, Seals DR. Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2001;37(1):153-156.
- Gulati M et al. Heart rate response to exercise stress testing in asymptomatic women: the St. James Women Take Heart Project. Circulation, 2010;122(2):130-137.
- Nes BM et al. Age-predicted maximal heart rate in healthy subjects: the HUNT Fitness Study. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 2013;23(6):697-704.
- Gellish RL et al. Longitudinal modeling of the relationship between age and maximal heart rate. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 2007;39(5):822-829.
- Fox SM, Naughton JP, Haskell WL. Physical activity and the prevention of coronary heart disease. Annals of Clinical Research, 1971;3(6):404-432.
Frequently asked questions
What is my max heart rate for my age?
The best general estimate is the Tanaka formula, 208 − 0.7 × age. That gives 187 bpm at 30, 180 at 40, 173 at 50 and 166 at 60. Your real max can easily be 10 bpm or more higher or lower, so use the estimate as a starting point and replace it with a measured value when you can.
Is 220 minus age accurate?
It is accurate around age 40, where it matches Tanaka at 180 bpm. It overestimates for younger people and underestimates for older people: at 60 it gives 160 bpm against 166 for Tanaka, and at 70 it gives 150 against 159. For any individual, every formula can be well off, so a measured max is better.
Which max heart rate formula is the most accurate?
For groups of adults, Tanaka (208 − 0.7 × age) fits best and is the default in this calculator. Gellish gives almost the same result, Nes gives higher values for older athletes and Gulati is built for women. None of them can predict your own max precisely. A hard race or a field test gives you the real number.
Is max heart rate different for women?
The Gulati formula, 206 − 0.88 × age, was developed in women and gives lower values than the other formulas, for example 171 bpm at 40. Tanaka was built from both sexes. Because individual variation is larger than the difference between formulas, a measured max is the best answer for women and men alike.
Can you increase your max heart rate with training?
Not meaningfully. Max heart rate is largely set by age and genetics, and training changes it very little. What training does change is how much power or speed you produce at a given heart rate. A high max is not a sign of fitness, and a low max is not a weakness.
Is it dangerous to reach your max heart rate?
For healthy, trained people a short all-out effort is hard but generally safe. If you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, symptoms such as chest pain or fainting, take heart-rate-lowering medicine or are new to hard exercise, talk to your doctor before any maximal test. Stop immediately if you feel unwell.
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Related calculators
Cycling heart rate zones from lactate threshold heart rate, max heart rate or heart rate reserve.
Open calculator →Your Zone 2 in heart rate and watts, from threshold heart rate, max heart rate or FTP.
Open calculator →Normal resting heart rate by age and sex, and whether today’s reading is normal for you.
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