Maximum Heart Rate
As exercise intensity increases, so does your heart rate. Your heart rate, which is conventionally measured in beats per minute (bpm) can therefore be used as an indicator of exercise intensity.
How do I measure my maximum heart rate
Your maximum heart rate does not vary much with your fitness. (Your resting heart rate, by contrast, does.) Your maximum heart rate falls as you get older.
The best way to test your maximum heart rate is to do a running test which you can do on a track, in a park or on a treadmill. You should not do this without medical advice if you are over 50, if you are obese, or if you have any history of heart problems.
After warming up, run at an even pace for three minutes, as fast as you can. Jog for two minutes; then run again for three minutes as fast as you can. Your maximum heart rate is the maximum level reached during the second 3 minute run.
How can I estimate my maximum heart rate from my age and sex?
There are several different ways to estimate your maximum heart rate, based on your age and sex. The best known are:
| Formula | Men | Women |
| Age adjusted | MHR = 220 – age | MHR = 226 – age |
| Ball State University | MHR = 214 – (0.8 x age) | MHR = 209 – (0.9 x age) |
| Londeree & Moeschberger | MHR = 206.3 – (0.711 x age) | MHR = 206.3 – (0.711 x age) |
| Miller et al | MHR = 217- (0.85 x age) | MHR = 217- (0.85 x age) |
Please note that there is a wide margin of error around each of these estimates, of up to 15-20 beats per minute.
Why is my maximum heart rate different for different sports?
Your maximum heart rate will be different in different sports, because you use different muscle groups. Running uses the largest muscle groups in the body and so has usually causes the highest maximum heart rate. If you are cycling, you may experience a maximum heart rate about 5 – 10 beats per minute lower than in running. You should carry out a maximum test for your sport.
What is unclear is if max hb means anything. I have a resting rate of
Of about 60 but it is almost impossible fo me to get my rate over 140.
I am 61 yrs old but during a vigorous workout my rate stays in the lower
120′s. Does this mean I’m unhealthy?
I have the issue of when I do a training run at my race page my heart rate is around 130 to 140.
when I enter a race for the same pace, over a similar terain, my rate is 140 to 150. I am 60 years of age.
is it just excitmet of the race environment or should I train more?
I am 50 and therefore should have a Maximum heart rate of 170. However, I often exceed that on a run (a 2 mile run recently got to 174 and when training in the gym the other day I got to 176). I check my heart rate at rest last week and it was 54. I’m obviously a high beater, so is there another way to calculate my maximum as traditional 220 – age type calculations don’t seem appropriate for me.
Also, is this something I should be concerned about?
I am 59, and today I did 3.6 Km on the treadmill at avarious speeds betweent 11 and 13.2 kph. My average HR was 156, the highest 171. I have to say that sounded scary. I finished my 3,6 Km in 17 m 36. I have to say, The treadmill is without doubt a sight easier then running on the Thames towpath in the Kingston Park Run!
I’m having an issue with my average heart rate being 203 on my 10 mile runs in the mornings 2 days a week. My resting heart rate is between 50-52 and I am 48 years old. Normally on Saturday I run 13 miles at a 9.00 mile pace and it runs any where between 147-151. On Tuesday and Thursday mornings I run 10 miles at a faster pace of anywhere between 8.00 pace and 8.30 mile pace, and ususally have heart rate around 161 but the last 2 weeks on my faster pace runs I have had yeart rates up to 211. Is the heat and humidity causing this or should I be concerned?
I think you should check your heart rate monitor and/or verify this measurment by counting heart beats and watching the clock. I guess the heat and humidity are causing your equipment false reading.
Hi i have just started running after a 7 year absence, I have smoked all of my adault life and am trying really hard to stop, I started running a program of walking, running starting at run a min walk 2 , 7 times ,this is the start of my 4 week and i ran for 3min walk 2, 7 times and felt good so i ran the 7th time for 6 min and my reart rate reched 78 bpm, I am 59 do i need to be concerned.
I have a question regarding my weird heart rate range.
I have just decided to improve my fitness to an average marathon level for the first time in my life. I have yoyoed between only slightly higher than average good fitness and lousy fitness all my life – however in general terms I would consider myself of having been average good-to-slightly below average for the last 10 years (I am 30 years old). In general I am also healthy, with a normal weight, no allergies, hardly ever sick, flexible and energetic.
I remember already some years ago of having measured my max heart rate at somewhere 210-215.
This week I self-measured my heart rates to set my target zones again: I sprinted as fast as I could pretty much as was advised above: 1st sprint gave me 204bpm; 2nd sprint gave me 216bpm. I understand the general calculations (220 – age etc.) are only indicative, but how can I be that much off the scale? Is that normal or even healthy? Secondly, my rest rate (I took it in the evening on the couch after some meditating, since I never remember to do it in the morning!) and got 58. I suspect early morning would give me lower.
So: I am very unfit at the moment, not able to run faster than 7-7.5km/h for longer periods, and can hold 8-9km/h pace for only a minute or so. When running around 7.5km/h, after a few minutes my heart rate is somewhere close to 175-180; I feel exhausted, but can still keep going. With a pace 7km/h I get somewhere down to 160bpm.
How can my heart rate range be so big when I am this unfit? (58-216?) Does this pose any risks, or benefits for that matter?
I tried googling for explanations but wasn’t successful – if someone could explain this like to a simpleton, I would appreciate it!
I am not an expert but before you investigate much further I would check your max readings with another HR monitor as your max at 216 sounds high and max HR does not usually vary much with fitness.