HesapHanem

Maximum Heart Rate (Gulati) Calculator

The women-specific alternative to 220 − age, plus your training zones.

Result

166 bpm
83–116 bpm
116–141 bpm

How it is calculated

The only input is age in years. Maximum heart rate is HRmax = 206 − 0.88 × age, rounded to whole beats per minute. The tool then applies percentages of that maximum (not of heart-rate reserve): the moderate zone is 50% to 70% of HRmax and the vigorous zone is 70% to 85%. Each zone edge is rounded separately, so a boundary can be off by one from a hand calculation. Ages from above 0 up to 120 are accepted. The formula was derived from women, and the tool has no sex option, so the same line is used for everyone. It is an estimate for a population; an individual maximum can differ by many beats, and a stress test measures it directly.

Worked example

For a woman aged 45: 0.88 × 45 = 39.6, and 206 − 39.6 = 166.4, shown as "166 bpm". The moderate zone is 50% of 166.4 = 83.2 up to 70% = 116.48, printed as "83–116 bpm". The vigorous zone runs from 70% = 116.48 to 85% = 141.44, printed as "116–141 bpm". For comparison, the older 220 − age formula would give 175 bpm at this age, about 9 beats higher. Training at 130 bpm would therefore count as vigorous here.

Try this example →

Common mistakes

  • Using the result as a hard ceiling: it is an average estimate, and a fit person can be well above or below it.
  • Entering the resting heart rate or a measured pulse in the age field; only age in years belongs there.
  • Applying the zones to a man as if the formula were validated for him; it was derived from women, and the tool does not adjust for sex.
  • Mixing this with heart-rate-reserve (Karvonen) zones: here the zones are straight percentages of the maximum, so the numbers will not match a Karvonen calculator.
  • Typing the age in months or an implausible age such as 3: the engine accepts anything from above 0 to 120 and returns a number without comment.

About this calculator

The classic “220 minus age” formula for estimating maximum heart rate was derived mostly from studies on men, and research has shown it tends to overestimate max heart rate in women. The Gulati formula, published in 2010 from a study of over 5,000 women, gives a better-fitting estimate: Max HR = 206 − (0.88 × age), which produces noticeably different — and generally more accurate — numbers than the generic formula, especially at older ages.

Cardiologists and exercise physiologists use sex-specific max heart rate formulas because heart rate training zones (used for prescribing cardio intensity in cardiac rehab, stress testing and general fitness training) are calculated as percentages of max heart rate — a formula that's off by 10 beats per minute can shift someone from a moderate-intensity zone into a zone that's too easy or too hard for their actual training goal.

Was this helpful?

You can pick up to 3 reactions.

Comments

  • Be the first to comment.

Popular calculators

Loan Calculator

Monthly payment, total interest and full amortization schedule.

Percentage Calculator

Percent change, percent of, and ratio calculations.

Discount Calculator

Calculate final price, savings, and discount amount.

BMI Calculator

Body mass index from height and weight (metric or imperial).

Age Calculator

Compute your exact age in years, months and days from a birth date.

Compound Interest Calculator

Calculate the final amount and interest earned with compounding.

All Calculators