Maximum heart rate

Maximum heart rate (HRmax) is the highest beats per minute the heart reaches during all-out exertion. It is largely determined by age and genetics, not fitness, and declines with age. HRmax sets training zones for Zone 2 and HIIT. The classic 220 minus age formula is rough; Tanaka (208 − 0.7 × age) outperforms it, especially in older adults, but direct measurement in a maximal test remains the gold standard.