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Important: This method is only suitable for well-trained athletes, as it is extremely demanding on the body. For less trained people or people with health concerns, such an intensive test can be risky and lead to overloading or circulatory problems. It is therefore advisable to consult a doctor before such tests or to use a less strenuous method, such as the rule of thumb.
Rule of thumb:
The simplest method for calculating your maximum heart rate is the rule of thumb:
Maximum heart rate
(MHF) = 220 - Age
This formula provides a rough guide that is sufficient for most amateur athletes to determine their training zones.
Yes, they do exist! On average, women have a higher heart rate than men during submaximal exercise. This was shown in a study by Prof Dr Kuno Hottenrott and Dr Gert Neumann at the Institute for Performance Diagnostics and Health Promotion at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. They found that at a lactate concentration of 2 mmol/l, women have around 10 beats per minute more than men. At 4 mmol/l it is still around 7 beats per minute.
The reason for this is simple: women's hearts are smaller and pump less blood per beat, which means that the heart has to beat faster to meet the same oxygen demand of the muscles.
Interestingly, the study also showed that these differences decrease with increasing exertion. There was no difference in maximum heart rate between men and women. However, for recreational athletes who simply want to get fitter, these differences play a subordinate role.
The findings are particularly valuable for precise training control in endurance sports. The authors have even developed a gender-specific formula for optimal training heart rates, which can help to adapt training zones even better. You can find the details in the publication: Gender-specific formula for optimal training heart rates, published in the Swiss Journal of Sports Medicine and Sports Traumatology (2012, Volume 60, Issue 3, pages 102-105).
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