Heart Rate Revised

MAXIMUM HEART RATE FORMULA IS WRONG

Gabe Mirkin, M.D.

Many of the standard tests used to measure heart function are based on a nonsensical MAXIMUM HEART RATE formula, that predicts the fastest your heart can beat and still pump blood through your body. Although this formula is the golden standard used today, it is not based on science. In 1970, a good friend, Sam Fox, was the director of the United States Public Health Service Program to Prevent heart disease. He is one of the most respected heart specialists in the world. He and a young researcher named William Haskell were flying to a meeting. They put together several studies comparing maximum heart rate and age. Sam Fox took out a pencil and plotted a graph of age verses maximum heart rate and said it looks like maximum heart rate is equal to 220 minus a person's age. For the last 30 years, this formula has been taught in physical education and heart function course and has been used to test heart function and athletic fitness. In the 1960s, Sam Fox was very helpful to me when I was competing, planning and setting up running programs, but the whole concept of maximum heart rate and the formula that it is equal to 220 minus your age is ridiculous.

The formula is wrong because your legs drive your heart. Your heart does not drive your legs. Maximum heart rate depends on the strength of your legs, not the strength of your heart. When you contract your leg muscles, they squeeze against the blood vessels near them to pump blood from your leg veins toward your heart. When your leg muscle relax, your leg veins fill with blood. So your leg muscles pump increased amounts of blood toward your heart. This increased blood fills the heart and causes your heart to be faster and with more force. This is called the Bainbridge reflex that doctors are taught in their first year of medical school. The stronger your legs are, the more blood they can pump, which causes your heart to beat faster. Since I race at my maximum speed most weekends on my bicycle, my legs are very strong and can pump blood forcibly to my heart. The formula, 220 minus age, claims that I can get my heart rate only up to 220 minus 66 or 154. I am 66 years old and I can easily get my heart rate above 210 beats a minute because I am in shape. An out-of-shape 20 year may have maximum heart rate of only 120.

A pencil mark plotted on a graph during an airplane flight more than 30 years ago has been the accepted formula for maximum heart rate for more than 30 years and the medical community has accepted false dogma, based on no research, for more than 30 years.

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More reports on: Fitness * Diabetes * Nutrition * Women's Health * Men's Health * Heart Health * Joints & Bones * Other Health Issues

Transcripts of segments of The Dr. Gabe Mirkin Show are provided as a service at no charge. Dr. Mirkin's opinions and the references cited are for information only, and are not intended to diagnose or prescribe. For your specific diagnosis and treatment, consult your doctor or health care provider.

For more information and more than 3000 reports on health, fitness and nutrition, visit www.DrMirkin.com

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ANOTHER HEART RATE ARTICLE:

Now there's a better way to predict your maximum heart rate...

You've probably been told that the best way to predict your maximal heart rate - the maximum number of times your heart can beat each minute - is to subtract your age from the number 220.

Used by many fitness professionals to design training routines, the formula also forms the basis for the programs used on many aerobic exercise machines.

However, new research shows that this equation overestimates maximal heart rate in younger people and underestimates it in older people. It calls into question the validity of exercise routines using your predicted maximum heart rate to determine how hard you should train.

The original formula is based on data compiled in 1971, although scientists have been attempting to predict maximal heart rates since the late 1930's. Yet despite its popularity, the validity of the equation has never been tested in a sample that includes a sufficient number of older adults.

In fact, when Dr. Robert Robergs recently analyzed the data on which the original formula was based, he ended up with a totally different equation!

Moreover, Swedish exercise scientist Per Olof Åstrand reports that the average drop in maximal heart rate for women is 12 beats in 21 years and 19 beats in 33 years. For men, the drop is 9 beats in 21 years and 26 beats in 33 years.

In other words, your maximum heart rate doesn't drop by one beat per year (as the old formula predicts that it does). Moreover, the rate of decline appears to differ in men and women.

The new formula, though still plagued by some of the problems associated with the previous version, comes from a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Researchers from the University of Colorado at Boulder analyzed the data from 351 studies to devise the new equation.

Subsequently, it was tested in the laboratory where maximal heart rate was measured in 514 healthy subjects. The new formula requires that you multiply your age by 0.7, and take this number away from 208.

The table below shows you the difference between predicted maximal heart rates obtained using both the new and old equations.

TABLE 1. A comparison of the old and new formula for predicting maximal heart rate.

Age Old formula New formula

20 200 194

30 190 187

40 180 180

50 170 173

60 160 166

70 150 159

80 140 152

90 130 145

The bottom line is that the new formula does appear to be more accurate than the previous version. However, there's still a large margin of error - estimated by some to be plus or minus 6-7 beats per minute.

In other words, if your predicted maximal heart rate is 180 beats per minute, it could really be anywhere between 173 and 187. This is an important fact to consider if you base your training program on a percentage of your predicted maximal heart rate.

Do you need help burning the fat from your belly or packing muscle on your chest, shoulders and arms? This site contains everything you need to know. It will teach you the best ways to get the lean, strong, healthy body you deserve. Mentor Members also enjoy a clear, honest and easy-to-follow response to all their fat-burning and muscle-building questions within 48 hours »

Reference

Tanaka, H., Monahan, K.D., & Seals, D.R. (2001). Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 37, 153-156

The Facts About Fitness

Unit 1 Scholars Row

Mawsley

Northamptonshire

United Kingdom

NN14 1GZ

The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. Consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem.


	blog home MAXIMUM HEART RATE FORMULA IS WRONG Gabe Mirkin, M.D. Many of the standard tests used to measure heart function are based on a nonsensical MAXIMUM HEART RATE formula, that predicts the fastest your heart can beat and still pump blood through your body. Although this formula is the golden standard used today, it is not based on science. In 1970, a good friend, Sam Fox, was the director of the United States Public Health Service Program to Prevent heart disease. He is one of the most respected heart specialists in the world. He and a young researcher named William Haskell were flying to a meeting. They put together several studies comparing maximum heart rate and age. Sam Fox took out a pencil and plotted a graph of age verses maximum heart rate and said it looks like maximum heart rate is equal to 220 minus a person's age. For the last 30 years, this formula has been taught in physical education and heart function course and has been used to test heart function and athletic fitness. In the 1960s, Sam Fox was very helpful to me when I was competing, planning and setting up running programs, but the whole concept of maximum heart rate and the formula that it is equal to 220 minus your age is ridiculous. The formula is wrong because your legs drive your heart. Your heart does not drive your legs. Maximum heart rate depends on the strength of your legs, not the strength of your heart. When you contract your leg muscles, they squeeze against the blood vessels near them to pump blood from your leg veins toward your heart. When your leg muscle relax, your leg veins fill with blood. So your leg muscles pump increased amounts of blood toward your heart. This increased blood fills the heart and causes your heart to be faster and with more force. This is called the Bainbridge reflex that doctors are taught in their first year of medical school. The stronger your legs are, the more blood they can pump, which causes your heart to beat faster. Since I race at my maximum speed most weekends on my bicycle, my legs are very strong and can pump blood forcibly to my heart. The formula, 220 minus age, claims that I can get my heart rate only up to 220 minus 66 or 154. I am 66 years old and I can easily get my heart rate above 210 beats a minute because I am in shape. An out-of-shape 20 year may have maximum heart rate of only 120. A pencil mark plotted on a graph during an airplane flight more than 30 years ago has been the accepted formula for maximum heart rate for more than 30 years and the medical community has accepted false dogma, based on no research, for more than 30 years. To receive Dr. Mirkin's free health & fitness E-Zine each week, send a blank email to subscribe@drmirkin.com www.DrMirkin.com *More reports on: Fitness Diabetes * Nutrition * Women's Health * Men's Health * Heart Health * Joints & Bones * Other Health Issues Copyright 2003 www.DrMirkin.com Transcripts of segments of The Dr. Gabe Mirkin Show are provided as a service at no charge. Dr. Mirkin's opinions and the references cited are for information only, and are not intended to diagnose or prescribe. For your specific diagnosis and treatment, consult your doctor or health care provider. For more information and more than 3000 reports on health, fitness and nutrition, visit www.DrMirkin.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ANOTHER HEART RATE ARTICLE: Now there's a better way to predict your maximum heart rate... You've probably been told that the best way to predict your maximal heart rate - the maximum number of times your heart can beat each minute - is to subtract your age from the number 220. Used by many fitness professionals to design training routines, the formula also forms the basis for the programs used on many aerobic exercise machines. However, new research shows that this equation overestimates maximal heart rate in younger people and underestimates it in older people. It calls into question the validity of exercise routines using your predicted maximum heart rate to determine how hard you should train. The original formula is based on data compiled in 1971, although scientists have been attempting to predict maximal heart rates since the late 1930's. Yet despite its popularity, the validity of the equation has never been tested in a sample that includes a sufficient number of older adults. In fact, when Dr. Robert Robergs recently analyzed the data on which the original formula was based, he ended up with a totally different equation! Moreover, Swedish exercise scientist Per Olof Åstrand reports that the average drop in maximal heart rate for women is 12 beats in 21 years and 19 beats in 33 years. For men, the drop is 9 beats in 21 years and 26 beats in 33 years. In other words, your maximum heart rate doesn't drop by one beat per year (as the old formula predicts that it does). Moreover, the rate of decline appears to differ in men and women. The new formula, though still plagued by some of the problems associated with the previous version, comes from a study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Researchers from the University of Colorado at Boulder analyzed the data from 351 studies to devise the new equation. Subsequently, it was tested in the laboratory where maximal heart rate was measured in 514 healthy subjects. The new formula requires that you multiply your age by 0.7, and take this number away from 208. The table below shows you the difference between predicted maximal heart rates obtained using both the new and old equations. TABLE 1. A comparison of the old and new formula for predicting maximal heart rate. Age Old formula New formula 20 200 194 30 190 187 40 180 180 50 170 173 60 160 166 70 150 159 80 140 152 90 130 145 The bottom line is that the new formula does appear to be more accurate than the previous version. However, there's still a large margin of error - estimated by some to be plus or minus 6-7 beats per minute. In other words, if your predicted maximal heart rate is 180 beats per minute, it could really be anywhere between 173 and 187. This is an important fact to consider if you base your training program on a percentage of your predicted maximal heart rate. Do you need help burning the fat from your belly or packing muscle on your chest, shoulders and arms? This site contains everything you need to know. It will teach you the best ways to get the lean, strong, healthy body you deserve. Mentor Members also enjoy a clear, honest and easy-to-follow response to all their fat-burning and muscle-building questions within 48 hours » Reference Tanaka, H., Monahan, K.D., & Seals, D.R. (2001). Age-predicted maximal heart rate revisited. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 37, 153-156 The Facts About Fitness Unit 1 Scholars Row Mawsley Northamptonshire United Kingdom NN14 1GZ** The information provided on this site is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for any medical conditions. Consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem.