Simply enter your current age into the Max Heart Rate Calculator below to calculate your approximate max heart rate. Read the notes underneath to understand what the maximum heart rate calculated can be used for and how max HR is useful, along with alternative methods to figure max heart rate accurately.
Notes about this Max Heart Rate Calculator
Note that the max heart rate provided by this calculator is approximate and based on the very generic “220-age” formula. Max heart rate is mostly a combination of age and genetics. Some people have much higher max heart rates than others. For example, 220-age would predict me to have ~172bpm, but in reality, it’s much higher, in the region of 190bpm.
Some drugs can affect your max heart rate too, like Beta Blockers. If you want a more accurate answer than is possible with this max hr calculator, with results that are specific to you, then you’ll need to do another step. For a lot of people the result above will be about right, but to get an accurate max heart rate, you’ll need to do a Maximum Heart Rate Stress Test. The one linked there is for runners and is, as the name implies, stressful on the heart. You wouldn’t want to try it if you had only just started running.
What is “max heart rate”?
This is the maximum number of beats your heart rate can pump at each minute. It’s the point at which the heart muscles cannot physically contract any faster, even if you put more effort into exercise, and performance will quickly tail off after that point.
Why do you want to calculate max heart rate?
Runners and other athletes need to know how to calculate max heart rate so that they can set their heart rate training zone boundaries. Once they’ve determined their max heart rate, either using the calculator on this page, or in a Max HR Stress Test, they can then use a heart rate zone calculator and a heart rate drift test to understand what effort levels to train at for most effective improvement to energy systems, such as during aerobic base training, or lactate threshold training.
Can I increase max heart rate?
Maximum heart rate is genetic and decreases with age. Having a higher max heart rate than someone else is not an indicator of performance. The max heart rate you can actually achieve in real life depends on your experience with the exercise involved and the amount of muscles recruited in that exercise. For example an athlete that is experienced at both running and road cycling will normally see a lower maximum heart rate while cycling than running, since the body is supported while sitting. If they get on a mountain bike and crank up a hill standing up, the max HR seen will be closer to running. Similarly, if an athlete is new to running but has mountain biked for years, their ability to achieve the highest possible heart rate while running won’t be there yet, so they might even achieve higher on the mountain bike to start with.
If you think you have a high heart rate while running, perhaps you need to make some measurement adjustments (follow that link to find out how).
If you are reading this and feel your heart rate is very high for no reason, please seek medical attention immediately.
