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Max heart rate calculator by age

Short answer

The Tanaka formula, 208 − 0.7 × age, is the best-supported age-only estimate of maximum heart rate. At 50 it gives 173 bpm, against 170 bpm from the traditional 220 − age and 179 bpm from the HUNT study's 211 − 0.64 × age. Any formula can miss an individual by 10 beats or more, so a measured maximum beats a prediction.

Last reviewed 26 October 20263 published sourcesNot medical advice

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Max heart rate calculator

Four published age formulas, side by side.

years

Enter your age to see your predicted maximum heart rate.

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The four formulas

Tanaka: 208 − 0.7 × age, from a meta-analysis of 351 studies and 18,712 people, cross-validated in 514 healthy adults (Tanaka et al., 2001).

Gellish: 207 − 0.7 × age, from 908 maximal exercise tests in 132 people followed over 25 years (Gellish et al., 2007).

Nes (HUNT): 211 − 0.64 × age, from 3,320 healthy Norwegians who reached a verified maximal effort (Nes et al., 2013 (HUNT)).

Traditional: 220 − age. Tanaka et al. note it is widely used but had never been validated in a sample with enough older adults (Tanaka et al., 2001).

Predicted maximum heart rate by age (bpm)
AgeTanakaGellishNes (HUNT)Traditional
20194193198200
25191190195195
30187186192190
35184183189185
40180179185180
45177176182175
50173172179170
55170169176165
60166165173160
65163162169155
70159158166150
Tanaka: 208 − 0.7 × age; Gellish: 207 − 0.7 × age; Nes (HUNT): 211 − 0.64 × age; Traditional: 220 − age. Rounded to the nearest beat.

Using your max heart rate

Maximum heart rate anchors training intensity. Combined with your resting heart rate, it sets your heart rate reserve and training zones: try the heart rate zone calculator. It also feeds a quick fitness estimate in the VO2 max calculator.

Because the HUNT authors found a standard error of 10.8 bpm around their line (Nes et al., 2013 (HUNT)), use a predicted maximum as a starting point and adjust it if your watch regularly records higher peaks in hard efforts.

See your heart data as a trend

Reps reads the resting heart rate and VO2 max your Apple Watch records and turns them into trends and a fitness age, so you can see how your heart responds to training.

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Common questions

Is 220 minus age accurate?

Tanaka et al. (2001) pooled 351 studies with 18,712 people and found maximum heart rate followed 208 − 0.7 × age, which they confirmed in a lab study of 514 people. They concluded that 220 − age underestimates maximum heart rate in older adults. The two formulas agree at age 40.

Does max heart rate differ for men and women?

In both Tanaka et al. (2001) and the HUNT Fitness Study of 3,320 adults (Nes et al., 2013), the age relationship did not differ meaningfully between men and women, or with fitness or activity level. Age alone explains most of the difference between people, but not all of it.

How do I find my real maximum heart rate?

Only a maximal exercise test measures it. The HUNT study reported a standard error of 10.8 bpm around its formula, so a healthy person's real maximum can easily sit 10 bpm or more above or below the formula. If you have heart disease or symptoms, don't attempt a maximal effort without medical advice.

Sources

Figures on this page were checked against these publications on 26 October 2026.

  1. Tanaka H, Monahan KD, Seals DR. Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2001;37(1):153–156. doi.org/10.1016/S0735-1097(00)01054-8
  2. Gellish RL, Goslin BR, Olson RE, McDonald A, Russi GD, Moudgil VK. Longitudinal modeling of the relationship between age and maximal heart rate. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2007;39(5):822–829. doi.org/10.1097/mss.0b013e31803349c6
  3. Nes BM, Janszky I, Wisløff U, Støylen A, Karlsen T. Age-predicted maximal heart rate in healthy subjects: the HUNT Fitness Study. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. 2013;23(6):697–704. doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0838.2012.01445.x

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