
The commonly used but invalid age-adjusted maximum heart rate formula has been a standard in the fitness formula for measuring maximum heart rate: 220-age (years) = individuals maximum heart rate (bpm). Thus, the use of percentages of maximum heart rate may be less than optimal versus using Threshold heart rate used in ZONING or Threshold Training System.” Specific values of percentages of maximum heart rate are not necessarily equivalent intensities in different individuals. There is a very large body of evidence supporting this approach. You will also read other articles of who, what, how, and why to use different biomarkers like threshold or maximum heart rate to serve as the anchor point for setting training zones.Īccording to Carl Foster, PhD and Heart Zones Faculty member, “Using a percentage of heart-rate maximum is probably the most widely used approach for programming and monitoring exercise intensity. In the content on this site, we provide you with some of the ways to conduct a “field test” to determine your maximum heart rate. It doesn’t change with fitness and only decreases ever so slowly with age, most likely with age-related loss of fitness. Your maximum heart rate is more or less static, changing over time as slowly as a glacier in the fit population. Maximum heart rate does not change with age.

Maximum heart rate is used to set heart rate zones, it is an anchor point, it is a bio marker.
