Max Heart Rate Calculator
Quick answer: The three published age-predicted formulas are 220 − age (Fox & Haskell, 1971), 208 − 0.7 × age (Tanaka, 2001), and 206 − 0.88 × age (Gulati, 2010, for women). A 40-year-old gets 180 / 180 / 171 bpm, and a sample 70–85% zone of the 220 − age value is 126–153 bpm. These are population estimates, not medical advice — individual maximums vary by roughly ±10 bpm.
Estimate your age-predicted maximum heart rate with all three published formulas side by side. Enter your age, see the Fox, Tanaka, and Gulati results, and get a sample 70–85% training zone.
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Your results
Estimates only — not medical advice. Age-predicted maximums carry roughly ±10 bpm of individual error; a lab or field test measures your true maximum.
How to use this calculator
Enter your age. Sex selects which formula gets the headline: the Gulati equation was validated for women, so it is highlighted for women, while men see the Fox/Tanaka pair highlighted — all three results are always shown.
The sample training zone is 70–85% of the classic 220 − age value, a common aerobic range. For your full five-zone breakdown, use our heart rate zone calculator.
How this is calculated
Fox & Haskell: HRmax = 220 − age. Tanaka: HRmax = 208 − 0.7 × age. Gulati: HRmax = 206 − 0.88 × age. Sample zone: 0.70 × Fox result to 0.85 × Fox result, rounded to whole beats.
Inputs: age in years; sex determines which formula is labeled as the primary estimate (Gulati for women; Tanaka for men as the best-validated general equation).
Assumptions and edge cases: age-predicted formulas describe population averages — fitness, medications (especially beta blockers), altitude, and cardiac conditions all shift an individual's true maximum, which only a graded exercise test can measure. The Gulati equation is validated for women only. The 70–85% zone is one common aerobic prescription; it is not personalized training advice.
Worked example
Age 40: Fox = 220 − 40 = 180 bpm. Tanaka = 208 − 0.7 × 40 = 208 − 28 = 180 bpm. Gulati = 206 − 0.88 × 40 = 206 − 35.2 = 170.8 ≈ 171 bpm. Sample zone = 0.70 × 180 to 0.85 × 180 = 126–153 bpm.
Reference data
| Fox & Haskell | HRmax = 220 − age — general (originally derived from male data) |
|---|---|
| Tanaka | HRmax = 208 − 0.7 × age — general population, pooled from 18,712 subjects |
| Gulati | HRmax = 206 − 0.88 × age — women, from the St. James Women Take Heart Project (5,437 women) |
Source: Fox, Naughton & Haskell (1971); Tanaka, Monahan & Seals (2001); Gulati et al., Circulation (2010) — verified 2026-10-13. See Method & sources below for citations.
Method & sources
All three outputs are exact arithmetic from your age; the formulas themselves are population regression estimates, so treat every result as an estimate. No external table is consumed.
- Fox, Naughton & Haskell — "220 − age" (1971). Confirmed via Frontiers in Physiology review of age-predicted HRmax equations — frontiersin.org
- Tanaka, Monahan & Seals — "208 − 0.7 × age", pooled from 18,712 subjects (2001). Same review — frontiersin.org
- Gulati et al. — "206 − 0.88 × age" for women, Circulation, published June 28, 2010 — news-medical.net
Frequently asked questions
What is the most accurate max heart rate formula?
Tanaka (208 − 0.7 × age) is the most rigorously validated general-population equation; Gulati (206 − 0.88 × age) is validated for women. All are population estimates — expect roughly 10 bpm of individual error either way.
Why is 220 minus age considered inaccurate?
It was a rough rule of thumb that was never derived as a precise formula. It tends to overestimate maximums in young athletes and underestimate them in older adults, and it was built mostly on male data.
Is there a different max heart rate formula for women?
Yes: Gulati (206 − 0.88 × age), developed from the St. James Women Take Heart Project after 220 − age was found to systematically overshoot female maximums. For a 50-year-old woman, Fox predicts 170 bpm while Gulati predicts 162.
How do I use max heart rate for training zones?
Multiply your estimated maximum by the zone percentages. This calculator shows a sample 70–85% aerobic zone: at a 180 bpm maximum that is 126–153 bpm.