Maximum Heart Rate Calculator
Estimate your maximum heart rate from your age with four published formulas.
About the Maximum Heart Rate Calculator
Maximum heart rate falls with age. The classic 220 − age rule is easy but tends to underestimate it in older adults; Tanaka's formula (2001), based on a large meta-analysis, is generally more accurate. A supervised exercise test gives your true maximum.
The formula
Tanaka: HRmax = 208 − 0.7 × age
- Fox
- 220 − age
- Gellish
- 207 − 0.7 × age
- Nes
- 211 − 0.64 × age
Worked example
Example: Estimated maximum heart rate (Tanaka) = 177 bpm
- Input: Age: 44 years.
- Formula: Tanaka: HRmax = 208 − 0.7 × age
- Result: Estimated maximum heart rate (Tanaka) = 177 bpm
Things to keep in mind
- This is an estimate for general information, not medical advice. Talk to a doctor or other qualified professional about your health.
- Beta-blockers and some other medicines lower heart rate; formulas don't apply.
Questions people ask
Is it bad to reach my maximum?
Short efforts near maximum are normal in hard training for healthy people. Check with a doctor first if you have heart concerns.
Can I raise my max heart rate?
Not meaningfully; training raises fitness, not maximum heart rate.