How is estimated maximum heart rate commonly calculated?

• A. 200 minus age
• B. 180 minus age
• C. 220 plus age
• D. 220 minus age

Answer: (D)

Maximum heart rate is the highest number your heart can beat during intense exercise, and it tends to decrease as you get older. The most common quick estimate is to subtract your age from 220. For example, a 28-year-old would have an estimated max heart rate around 192 bpm. This simple rule provides a practical target for designing training zones as percentages of max heart rate. Other formulas would yield values that don’t match the usual age-related decline (subtracting from numbers far from 220 would be too high or too low, and adding age would imply max heart rate increases with age, which isn’t correct). While newer models exist, 220 minus age remains widely used because it’s easy to apply and broadly understood.