Max Heart Rate Calculator
Four formulas, because 220 minus age is the worst of them.
Every formula here carries a standard deviation of roughly 7-11 bpm, so your true maximum could sit well above or below the estimate. Only a measured test gives a real figure.
Max heart rate (Tanaka)
184 bpm
the most widely validated estimate
How the Max Heart Rate Calculator works
Maximum heart rate sets the scale every training zone is measured against, so an error here shifts every zone with it. The familiar 220 minus age is the least accurate of the common formulas — it was never derived from a proper study, and its standard deviation is around 10-12 beats per minute.
Not medical advice. This calculator gives a general estimate, not medical advice. It cannot account for your individual health, medical history, or medication. Talk to a qualified healthcare professional before acting on any result.
Frequently asked questions
Where did 220 minus age come from?
It was an informal fit to a scatter of published data in the 1970s, not a controlled study, and its own authors later said it was never meant as a precise formula. It survives because it is easy to remember, not because it is accurate.
Which max heart rate formula is best?
Tanaka (208 − 0.7 × age) is the most widely validated and is more accurate for older adults, where 220 − age drifts badly low. Gellish and Nes perform similarly. All of them carry a standard deviation of roughly 7-11 bpm, so any estimate is a starting point.
How do I find my true maximum heart rate?
Only by measuring it — a supervised graded exercise test, or a hard field test such as repeated maximal hill efforts with a chest strap. Neither is advisable without clearance if you have cardiac risk factors, and wrist optical sensors are unreliable at high intensity.
Does a higher max heart rate mean better fitness?
No. Maximum heart rate is largely genetic and falls with age regardless of training. Fitness shows up in resting heart rate, recovery rate and the pace you can hold at a given heart rate — not in the ceiling itself.