Max Heart Rate by Age (4 formulas)

Compare Tanaka, Fox (220−age), Gulati (women), and Nes formulas for age-based max HR.

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General calculation reads

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How to use this calculator

  • Enter age.
  • Use Tanaka or Nes for general estimation.
  • Use Gulati if female.
  • Verify with a max-effort test (last 4 min of an interval session, sprint to exhaustion).

About this calculator

The classic "220 − age" Fox formula was a quick clinical estimate, never validated against population data. Tanaka et al. (2001) re-derived from 18,712 subjects: 208 − 0.7 × age, accurate within ±10 bpm and unbiased across age groups. Gulati (2010) showed women have a different curve: 206 − 0.88 × age. Nes (2013, HUNT3) is similarly large-N. None is "right" for any individual — true max HR varies ±10-20 bpm at any age. Test it if you train by HR.

Frequently asked

Why is "220 − age" wrong?+
Fox's formula was an off-the-cuff clinical estimate. It systematically overstates max HR for younger people and understates for older. Tanaka is more accurate.
How do I actually test max HR?+
Best: 5-min hard effort, 2-min recovery, repeat with progressively higher peaks. Last 30 sec sprint to exhaustion. Wear chest strap. Don't solo-test if untrained.
Does fitness change max HR?+
Barely — max HR is set by genetics. Training drops resting HR (better recovery) and raises stroke volume. Max HR usually drops ~5 bpm/decade, training-independent.
Why women-specific?+
Women trend ~5-8 bpm higher max HR at any age, plus a different age-decline slope. The Gulati formula captures this.
Does altitude affect max HR?+
At altitude (3,000m+), max HR drops 5-10 bpm. Adjust target zones accordingly when training high.

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