Knowing your maximum heart rate is crucial for any runner hoping to improve the efficiency of his training through heart rate-specific workouts. But this type of training requires the runner to plug his maximum heart rate in to various formulas to produce accurate measurements and workout goals. Finding your own max heart rate can be difficult and dangerous -- it is only sustainable for short periods of time, and the high level of stress on the heart can be potentially damaging. For this reason, formulas are often used to provide an estimate.
Simple Formula
The most common formula used to determine maximum heart rate is popular for its simplicity. It has also been long regarded as an estimation that, while not precise for every person, is close enough for most practical purposes of individuals customizing their running workouts according to their heart rate and pumping power. This formula requires you to subtract your age in years from the number 220. The resulting product is your estimated maximum heart rate.
Variances
While this formula may produce an accurate estimation for some people, there can be a wide range of variance that makes it difficult for any one individual to rely on the formula as an accurate score. According to RunningTimes.com, the standard deviation of this formula is plus or minus 12 beats per minute. This means that only 68 percent of individuals will have an actual maximum heart rate within a 24-beat range surrounding the product of the formula. The remaining 32 percent will have heart rates that wander even farther from the formula's prediction. This can make it dangerous and ineffective to using heart rate training for your running workouts based on this simple formula. More precise calculations are needed.
Other Calculations
There are a few formulas that have been designed to improve on the accuracy of the aforementioned formula without drastically increasing the difficulty of its calculation. According to MarathonGuide.com, a more accurate method for seasoned runners requires you to subtract half your age from 205, with the resulting product being a more reliable calculation for the physically fit. Another approach divides the calculation according to gender. Men should multiply their age by .8 and subtract the number from 214. Women, by contrast, should multiply their age by .7 and subtract it from 209.
Considerations
If you want to receive an accurate measurement of your maximum heart rate, the best approach is to visit a doctor or cardiologist to have your heart's pumping capacity evaluated. Formulas are useful when you are trying to determine a range for exercise, but even then there are many factors specific to your body and health that can influence your heart's maximum workload and, because of that, your performance when running. A heart evaluation from a cardiologist will give you the most accurate numbers to base your heart rate training workouts on.
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