What is this about Maimum Heart Rates?

So I figured I would clear up a little bit of information regarding the difference between your maximum heart rate and your suggested target heart rate during exercise.

There really is no perfect formula to figure out where you should be and this article is strictly to be used as a guideline only and not as gospel. You should always consult your physician and even schedule an actual stress test if you are looking for as close to a perfect assessment as possible.

In easy terms your maximum heart rate is the beats per minute rate at which your heart should not exceed during strenuous exercise. Your target heart rate, sometimes referred to as your training heart rate, is the rate that your heart beats during aerobic exercise that gives your heart and lungs the most benefit from the exercise being performed. This rate can vary greatly given a person's current fitness level, age and gender.

The average healthy heart beat is between 60-80 beats per minute and tends to increase with age. Also the more physically fit you are the lower this will be. This allows the heart to save up energy for the times it is performing at higher rates during aerobic exercise. By lowering it's heart rate, the heart is saving up reserves for the times it is stressed and needs the extra power to handle the demand of strenuous activity. So if you are a sedentary person, your resting rate may be a lot higher than an Olympic athlete.

As stated before the most accurate way to determine one's MHR(maximum heart rate) is with a stress test. This is usually given at a sports medicine clinic or doctor's office. The subject will be hooked to an EKG and have their heart monitored during strenuous exercise performed on a treadmill. There are some guidelines to get you started, however, and I listed the most common method for determining you MHR below.

The most common formula not allowing for any variation :

MHR = 220 − age

Although no "acceptable" formula currently exists, the most widely used at the current time that allows for the prediction of VO2max(the maximum capacity of an individuals body to transport and utilize oxygen during exercise, reflecting the physical fitness of the individual.) and for figuring out training heart rates

The best formula of those examined to date is:

MHR = 205.8 − (0.685 × age)

Other things you must know is the target heart rates as well as your recovery rates. This additional information will help you determine your level of fitness and help you make the correct personal assessments when performing higher intensity workouts.

Your recovery heart rate is the heart rate measured at a known period after stopping your activity. It is usually measured one minute after your activity has stopped. The faster your heart returns to the your resting rate prior to the exercise the healthier and stronger your heart is. I always suggest you take the rate over the period of one minute intervals and see how it drop in a three minute time period, recording at each minute passed.

Your target heart rate (THR) is the rate that you should be shooting for during the continued activity to give your heart and lungs the most benefit from the aerobic exercise being performed. This range varies based on your current fitness level, age and even gender.

I've listed below the Karvonen method of calculating you THR. Intensity of the workout is considered when using this formula. You also need to determine as accurate as possible MHR to use this formula. The THR can be calculated by using a range of 50%–85% intensity.

The Karvonen method factors in Resting Heart Rate (HRrest) to calculate Target Heart Rate (THR):

THR = ((HRmax − HRrest) × %Intensity) + HRrest
Example for someone with a HRmax of 180 and a HRrest of 70:50% intensity: ((180 − 70) × 0.50) + 70 = 125 bpm85% intensity: ((180 − 70) × 0.85) + 70 = 163 bpm

There are many great heart rate monitors you can purchase that will help you determine your ongoing rate during your workouts, some that you need to place you fingers on two buttons and some that measure it consistently and continue to assess the rate during your entire workout. If you can not afford one you can take your own pulse rate at the radial or wrist location for ten seconds and multiply the result by 6.

Again...always listen you your body, not your mind, as your mind will always quit long before your body does!