Heart Rate Calculator by Age and Gender

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Heart Rate Calculator

Calculate your maximum and target heart rate zones based on age and gender

Male Female

Your Results

Estimated Max Heart Rate: 0 BPM

Zone & Intensity BPM Range Benefit
function calculateHeartRate() { var age = parseFloat(document.getElementById('hrAge').value); var gender = document.getElementById('hrGender').value; var restingHR = parseFloat(document.getElementById('hrResting').value) || 0; var maxHR = 0; var formula = ""; if (!age || age 120) { alert("Please enter a valid age."); return; } // Using the Tanaka Formula (Generally more accurate than 220-age) // For women, we use the Gulati Formula as it's specifically for females if (gender === 'female') { maxHR = 206 – (0.88 * age); formula = "Using the Gulati Formula (206 – 0.88 × Age)"; } else { maxHR = 208 – (0.7 * age); formula = "Using the Tanaka Formula (208 – 0.7 × Age)"; } maxHR = Math.round(maxHR); document.getElementById('maxHRVal').innerText = maxHR; document.getElementById('formulaUsed').innerText = formula; var zones = [ { name: "Zone 1: Very Light", range: "50-60%", benefit: "Recovery & Warm-up" }, { name: "Zone 2: Light", range: "60-70%", benefit: "Fat Burn & Endurance" }, { name: "Zone 3: Moderate", range: "70-80%", benefit: "Aerobic Fitness" }, { name: "Zone 4: Hard", range: "80-90%", benefit: "Speed & Power" }, { name: "Zone 5: Maximum", range: "90-100%", benefit: "Sprinting & Performance" } ]; var tableBody = document.getElementById('hrTableBody'); tableBody.innerHTML = ""; for (var i = 0; i 0 && restingHR < maxHR) { // Karvonen Formula: ((MaxHR – RestHR) * Intensity) + RestHR var reserve = maxHR – restingHR; lowBpm = Math.round((reserve * lowPerc) + restingHR); highBpm = Math.round((reserve * highPerc) + restingHR); } else { // Standard Percentage of Max HR lowBpm = Math.round(maxHR * lowPerc); highBpm = Math.round(maxHR * highPerc); } var row = '' + '' + zones[i].name + '' + '' + lowBpm + ' – ' + highBpm + ' BPM' + '' + zones[i].benefit + '' + ''; tableBody.innerHTML += row; } document.getElementById('hrResult').style.display = 'block'; }

Complete Guide to Heart Rate by Age and Gender

Understanding your heart rate is one of the most effective ways to gauge the intensity of your physical activity and monitor your cardiovascular health. A heart rate calculator by age and gender helps you identify your Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) and provides specific training zones to ensure you are exercising safely and efficiently.

How Maximum Heart Rate is Calculated

While many people are familiar with the "220 minus age" formula, modern sports science has developed more accurate equations that account for physiological differences between genders and the effects of aging on the heart muscle.

  • The Tanaka Formula: Often used for men, this formula (208 – 0.7 x Age) is considered more accurate for adults over the age of 40 than the traditional method.
  • The Gulati Formula: Specifically designed for women (206 – 0.88 x Age), this equation recognizes that female heart rate responses to exercise differ slightly from males.

The 5 Heart Rate Training Zones

By calculating your target heart rate, you can tailor your workouts to meet specific goals:

  1. Zone 1 (50-60% MHR): Best for warm-ups and active recovery. It improves overall health but has low intensity.
  2. Zone 2 (60-70% MHR): Known as the "Fat Burning Zone." It builds basic endurance and burns a higher percentage of calories from fat.
  3. Zone 3 (70-80% MHR): The Aerobic Zone. This improves cardiovascular capacity and strengthens the heart and lungs.
  4. Zone 4 (80-90% MHR): The Anaerobic Zone. This increases your lactate threshold, allowing you to perform at high intensities for longer.
  5. Zone 5 (90-100% MHR): Maximum Effort. Used for short interval training to improve speed and peak power.

Why Include Your Resting Heart Rate?

If you know your Resting Heart Rate (RHR), this calculator uses the Karvonen Formula. This method is highly regarded by athletes because it factors in your "Heart Rate Reserve" (the difference between your max and resting heart rate). This provides a much more personalized set of zones compared to basic age-based calculations.

Example Calculation

Consider a 40-year-old male with a resting heart rate of 60 BPM:

  • Estimated Max Heart Rate: 180 BPM
  • Zone 2 Range: 132 – 144 BPM (using Karvonen)
  • Focus: Sustainable jogging or cycling for cardiovascular health.

Medical Disclaimer: This calculator provides estimations only. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting a new exercise regimen, especially if you have pre-existing heart conditions or are taking medication that affects heart rate (such as beta-blockers).

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