Maximum Heart Rate
Athletes who use a heart rate monitor as a training aid need to identify their maximum heart rate in order to determine their appropriate training zones.
Maximum heart rate (MHR) can be predicted using a formula but the variation in actual MHR of 95% of individuals of a given age will lie within a range of ±20 beats/minute [Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 2007; 39(5):822-829]
Calculation of Maximum Heart Rate
The easiest and best known method to calculate your maximum heart rate (MHR) is to use the formula
- MHR = 220 - Age
Londeree and Moeschberger
A paper by Londeree and Moeschberger (1982) from the University of Missouri-Columbia indicates that the MHR varies mostly with age, but the relationship is not a linear one. They suggest an alternative formula of
- MHR = 206.3 - (0.711 × Age)
Londeree and Moeschberger also looked at other variables to see if they had any effect on the MHR. They found that neither sex nor race makes any difference but they did find that the MHR was affected by the activity and levels of fitness.
Studies have shown that MHR on a treadmill is consistently 5 to 6 beats higher than on a bicycle ergometer and 2 to 3 beats higher on a rowing ergometer. Heart rates while swimming are significantly lower, around 14 bpm, than for treadmill running. Elite endurance athletes and moderately trained individuals will have a MHR 3 or 4 beats slower than a sedentary individual. It was also found that well trained over 50s are likely to have a higher MHR than that which is average for their age.
Miller et al
A paper by Miller et al (1993) from Indiana University proposed the following formula as a suitable formula to calculate MHR
- MHR = 217 - (0.85 x Age)
USA Researchers
Evidence from USA researchers, reported in the Med Sci Sports Exerc 2007 May; 39(5):822-9, identified the following formula as more accurately reflecting the ship between age and maximum heart rate.
- MHR = 206.9 - (0.67 x age)
UK Researchers
Research carried out by scientists at John Moores University in Liverpool (UK) in 2007, reported in the Int J Sports Med 2007;24, came up with with the following formulae for predicting maximum heart rates in both endurance and anaerobically trained athletes:
- Male athletes - MHR = 202 - (0.55 x age)
- Female athletes - MHR = 216 - (1.09 x age)
Miller, Londeree and Moeschberger
To determine your maximum heart rate you could use the following, which combines the Miller formula with the research from Londeree and Moeschberger.
- Use the Miller formula of MHR=217 - (0.85 × age) to calculate MHR
- Subtract 3 beats for elite athletes under 30
- Add 2 beats for 50 year old elite athletes
- Add 4 beats for 55+ year old elite athletes
- Use this MHR value for running training
- Subtract 3 beats for rowing training
- Subtract 5 beats for bicycle training
Calculator
The following calculator will determine your Maximum Heart Rate for the various formulae discussed above. ** follow this link for an actual working table**
http://www.brianmac.co.uk/maxhr.htm
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Age -
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Sport -
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Experience -
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| Combined Londeree, Moeschberger and Miller | MHR= bpm |
| Londeree and Moeschberger (1982) | MHR= bpm |
| Miller et al (1993) | MHR= bpm |
| USA Researchers (2007) | MHR= bpm |
| UK Researchers (2007) - Male Athletes | MHR= bpm |
| UK Researchers (2007) - Female Athletes | MHR= bpm |
% MHR and %VO2 Max
It is possible to estimate your exercise intensity as a percentage of VO2 Max from your training heart rate. David Swain (1994) and his US based research team using statistical procedures examined the relationship between %MHR and %VO2 Max. Their results led to the following regression equation:
- %MHR = 0.64 × %VO2 Max + 37
The relationship has been shown to hold true across sex, age and activity.
Calculator
The following calculator will do the conversion for you. Enter a value, select the parameter (MHR or VO2 max) and then select the "Calculate" button.
| Value= | % |
| = | % |
VO2 and Power
It is possible to estimate your power (Watts) based on your VO2 max (L/Min).
- Power = (VO2 - 0.435) / 0.01141
Related Research Papers
- Londeree and Moeschberger (1982) 'Effect of age and other factors on HR max' - Research Quarterly for Exercise & Sport, 53(4), 297-304
- Swain et al (1994) 'Target HR for the development of CV fitness' - Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 26(1), 112-116
- Miller et al (1993) - 'Predicting max HR' - Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 25(9), 1077-1081
- Sports Medicine 2004; 34(14):967-981
- Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 2007; 39(5):822-829
- Int J Sports Med 2007;24
