Maximum Heart Rate (Gulati) Calculator

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.

This calculator takes your age and applies the Gulati formula to estimate your maximum heart rate, then breaks it into standard training zones.