Maximum heart rate

To be able to calculate your correct training threshold, it is important to establish your maximum heart rate in beats per minute. Many people use the accepted formula that your maximum heart rate should always be 220 beats per minute minus your age. Some suggest 180 as the maximum and yet others claim that the maximum level varies with age.

These are all rather crude – but essentially safe ways of establishing a maximum heart rate – as they take into account that the maximum declines as a person gets older. This has been shown by scientific research.

A more exact and scientific way of establishing your maximum heart rate is to undertake a test on, for example, a treadmill. This means that a person has to work at maximal effort for a given period of time. Be aware of the different methods.

Using the maximum heart rate to calculate a training threshold

However the maximum heart rate is established, it can be used to determine the appropriate training threshold rate (TTR) for an individual. There are a number of ways that this can be done and each is effective in its own way.

• The 180 method – deduct your age from 180. This method assumes that your maximum heart rate is 180. Thus the safe and effective training threshold for a 40-year-old person would be 180 – 40 = 140.
• The 70% to 80% method – this is based on a person working at 70% to 80% of a notional maximum heart rate that is related to a given age. Notional is not the same as maximal.

• The 60% method – this calculates the threshold level by adding 60% of the range of your heart rate to the resting pulse rate.
  • For example: if a person’s resting pulse rate = 80
  • and his maximum rate = 180
  • then the range = (180 - 80) = 100
  • 60% of the range = 60
  • so the threshold rate = (80 + 60) = 140
• Karvonen’s formula – this method establishes the threshold as follows:
  • establish resting rate = 60
  • establish maximum rate = 200
  • then the range = (200 - 60) = 140
  • 70% of the range = 98 so threshold rate = (98 + 60) = 158

You should be able to work out a threshold rate for a given set of figures.

To use the 60% method or Karvonen’s formula a person must be able to establish his own maximum heart rate correctly.

KEY POINT -  The 60% method is more suitable for strength work, while Karvonen’s formula is more suitable for aerobic training.