Maximum heart rate (MHR) is the fastest your heart can beat. The classic estimate is 220 minus age, though this has significant individual variation (±10–15 bpm is common). More accurate estimates come from a maximal exercise test. MHR is used to set heart rate training zones — each zone is a percentage of your individual maximum. MHR itself does not predict fitness; what matters is how efficiently you use it.
Key points
- Rough estimate: 220 − age
- ±10–15 bpm individual variation is common
- Sets the anchor for all training zones
- MHR alone does not predict fitness