Reference charts
Max Heart Rate Calculator by Age
Maximum heart rate is the highest rate your heart reaches during all-out exercise. Most people never measure it, so it is estimated from age. The calculator shows four published equations side by side, and the table lists the Tanaka estimate by age.
Updated . Educational reference, not medical advice.
Max heart rate calculator
Enter your age. Each equation is an average for a population; your real maximum can sit well above or below it.
Estimated maximum: 180 BPM (Tanaka)
| Tanaka (208 − 0.7 × age) | 180 |
| Gellish (207 − 0.7 × age) | 179 |
| Fox (220 − age) | 180 |
| Gulati, women (206 − 0.88 × age) | 171 |
| Moderate (64–76%) | 115–137 |
| Vigorous (77–93%) | 139–167 |
Educational only. Check with a clinician before hard exercise if you have a heart condition or take heart-rate-lowering medicine.
Reference Data
| Age | Tanaka (208 − 0.7 × age) | Fox (220 − age) | Moderate, 64–76% | Vigorous, 77–93% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 194 | 200 | 124–147 | 149–180 |
| 30 | 187 | 190 | 120–142 | 144–174 |
| 40 | 180 | 180 | 115–137 | 139–167 |
| 50 | 173 | 170 | 111–131 | 133–161 |
| 60 | 166 | 160 | 106–126 | 128–154 |
| 70 | 159 | 150 | 102–121 | 122–148 |
| 80 | 152 | 140 | 97–116 | 117–141 |
Source: Tanaka et al., JACC 2001; Gellish et al., MSSE 2007; Gulati et al., Circulation 2010; Harvard Health target ranges.
How to read this chart
Values are beats per minute. Tanaka and colleagues pooled 351 studies with 18,712 people and found maximum heart rate fell with age along 208 − 0.7 × age, then confirmed it in 514 people tested in their lab (209 − 0.7 × age). The line did not differ between men and women or with activity level. They also noted that the familiar 220 − age had never been validated in a sample with enough older adults; it gives similar numbers at 40 but runs lower in older people. Gellish and colleagues followed 132 people through 908 treadmill tests over 25 years and arrived at almost the same equation, 207 − 0.7 × age. In 5,437 women, Gulati and colleagues found peak heart rate followed 206 − 0.88 × age.
The intensity columns use the commonly published target ranges for moderate (64–76% of maximum) and vigorous (77–93%) exercise, as summarised by Harvard Health. Every one of these is a population average: individuals spread well around the line, so a measured maximum from a supervised test beats any formula.
Using it for training zones
Most watches set zones as percentages of maximum heart rate, so a better max estimate shifts every zone. See the heart rate zones chart for the five-zone model and zone 2 heart rate for the easy aerobic zone. For the other end of the range, see the resting heart rate chart.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What is my max heart rate?
The Tanaka equation estimates it as 208 minus 0.7 times your age, so about 180 BPM at 40 and 166 at 60. Your true maximum can differ by a lot; only a maximal exercise test measures it.
Is 220 minus age accurate?
It is close at around 40 but underestimates maximum heart rate in older adults. Tanaka and colleagues found it had never been validated with enough older people and proposed 208 − 0.7 × age from 18,712 people.
Is there a different formula for women?
Gulati and colleagues found 206 − 0.88 × age in 5,437 women. Tanaka found no difference between men and women in their data.
References
- Tanaka H, Monahan KD, Seals DR. Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited. J Am Coll Cardiol 2001;37:153–156. doi.org/10.1016/S0735-1097(00)01054-8
- Gellish RL, et al. Longitudinal modeling of the relationship between age and maximal heart rate. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2007;39:822–829. doi.org/10.1097/mss.0b013e31803349c6
- Gulati M, et al. Heart rate response to exercise stress testing in asymptomatic women. Circulation 2010;122:130–137. doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.110.939249
- Harvard Health Publishing. All about your heart rate (moderate 64–76% and vigorous 77–93% of maximum). www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/all-about-your-heart-rate