Max Heart Rate Calculator
This max heart rate calculator estimates your highest heart rate from your age with three published equations.
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Field Notes that go deeper
The science behind the max heart rate calculator
Show the formulas, method and sources
Maximum heart rate is the highest rate your heart reaches during all-out effort. The tool estimates it from age with three published equations, and it shows the Tanaka result as the headline.
Formulas
Tanaka
HRmax = 208 - 0.7 x age
Nes (HUNT study)
HRmax = 211 - 0.64 x age
Fox
HRmax = 220 - age
How it works, step by step
- First, the calculator takes your age in years.
- Then it applies each equation.
- Finally, it rounds the results to the nearest whole beat per minute.
Worked example
At age 30, Tanaka gives 208 - 0.7 x 30 = 187 beats per minute. Nes gives 211 - 0.64 x 30 = 191.8, and 220 minus age gives 190.
Accuracy and limits
Tanaka and colleagues pooled 351 studies with 18,712 people, then tested the equation in 514 healthy adults. The two fits matched, and the equation did not differ by sex or habitual activity. They concluded that 220 minus age underestimates maximum heart rate in older adults.
The HUNT Fitness Study measured 3,320 healthy adults and found 211 minus 0.64 times age, with a standard error of 10.8 beats per minute. Earlier equations underestimated the measured rate in people over 30.
The Nes study reports a standard error of 10.8 beats per minute, so your own maximum could sit well above or below these numbers.
- The equations use age alone, so they cannot see your own physiology.
- They describe healthy adults, so results for people with heart conditions may differ.
- If you want your real number, a supervised test can measure it.
Sources
- Tanaka H, Monahan KD, Seals DR. Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2001;37(1):153-156. Used for: The 208 minus 0.7 times age equation and its meta-analysis and lab validation.
- Nes BM, Janszky I, Wisloff U, Stoylen A, Karlsen T. Age-predicted maximal heart rate in healthy subjects: the HUNT fitness study. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2013;23(6):697-704. Used for: The 211 minus 0.64 times age equation and its standard error of 10.8 beats per minute.
- Rugbumrung M, Rukbumrung T, Impanya S, Thurayot A. Effects of aerobic exercise on physical fitness in obesity using Fox vs. Tanaka's maximum heart rate and percentage vs. Karvonen methods. Int J Exerc Sci. 2025;18(8):695-711. Used for: The Fox and Karvonen formulas as written, and the ACSM moderate-intensity percentages.
Sources and math last reviewed: .
Questions people ask
What is maximum heart rate?
It is the highest number of beats per minute your heart reaches during all-out effort. Because it tends to fall as you age, the equations here predict that decline.
Which equation is the best?
Researchers fitted Tanaka and Nes to large samples of healthy adults, and both found that the older rule underestimates rates in older people. Tanaka is the headline result, and the others appear for comparison.
Why is 220 minus age so popular?
People remember it easily and have used it for decades. Even so, the Tanaka study notes that nobody had established its validity in a sample with enough older adults.
How accurate are these numbers?
They give an estimate for a group, so one person can sit far away. The HUNT study reports a standard error of 10.8 beats per minute for the Nes equation.
Should I try to hit this number in a workout?
You do not need to reach your maximum in a workout. If you have a heart condition or take medication that changes your heart rate, ask a clinician before you use heart rate targets.
These calculators give general estimates for adults and are not medical advice. For decisions about your own health, talk with a doctor or a registered dietitian. How we write and check things