Maximum heart rate comes from the Tanaka formula (208 − 0.7 × age), rounded to the beat, and the zones are Polar’s five: 10% bands between 50 and 100% of that maximum. They’re the same numbers the heart rate zone calculator gives with the max heart rate method. Heart rates are in bpm (beats per minute).
Heart rate zones by age (% of max heart rate)
| Age | Max HR | Z1 Very light 50-60% | Z2 Light 60-70% | Z3 Moderate 70-80% | Z4 Hard 80-90% | Z5 Maximum 90-100% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 194 | 97-116 | 116-136 | 136-155 | 155-175 | 175-194 |
| 25 | 191 | 96-115 | 115-134 | 134-153 | 153-172 | 172-191 |
| 30 | 187 | 94-112 | 112-131 | 131-150 | 150-168 | 168-187 |
| 35 | 184 | 92-110 | 110-129 | 129-147 | 147-166 | 166-184 |
| 40 | 180 | 90-108 | 108-126 | 126-144 | 144-162 | 162-180 |
| 45 | 177 | 89-106 | 106-124 | 124-142 | 142-159 | 159-177 |
| 50 | 173 | 87-104 | 104-121 | 121-138 | 138-156 | 156-173 |
| 55 | 170 | 85-102 | 102-119 | 119-136 | 136-153 | 153-170 |
| 60 | 166 | 83-100 | 100-116 | 116-133 | 133-149 | 149-166 |
| 65 | 163 | 82-98 | 98-114 | 114-130 | 130-147 | 147-163 |
| 70 | 159 | 80-95 | 95-111 | 111-127 | 127-143 | 143-159 |
Zones by heart rate reserve (60 bpm resting)
The Karvonen method applies the same percentages to your heart rate reserve, the difference between your max and resting heart rate, and then adds the resting rate back: HR = resting + % × (max − resting). It gives higher zones at the low end and suits riders with a low resting heart rate better. This chart assumes 60 bpm at rest, a common figure for recreational cyclists.
| Age | Max HR | Z1 50-60% | Z2 60-70% | Z3 70-80% | Z4 80-90% | Z5 90-100% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 194 | 127-140 | 140-154 | 154-167 | 167-181 | 181-194 |
| 25 | 191 | 126-139 | 139-152 | 152-165 | 165-178 | 178-191 |
| 30 | 187 | 124-136 | 136-149 | 149-162 | 162-174 | 174-187 |
| 35 | 184 | 122-134 | 134-147 | 147-159 | 159-172 | 172-184 |
| 40 | 180 | 120-132 | 132-144 | 144-156 | 156-168 | 168-180 |
| 45 | 177 | 119-130 | 130-142 | 142-154 | 154-165 | 165-177 |
| 50 | 173 | 117-128 | 128-139 | 139-150 | 150-162 | 162-173 |
| 55 | 170 | 115-126 | 126-137 | 137-148 | 148-159 | 159-170 |
| 60 | 166 | 113-124 | 124-134 | 134-145 | 145-155 | 155-166 |
| 65 | 163 | 112-122 | 122-132 | 132-142 | 142-153 | 153-163 |
| 70 | 159 | 110-119 | 119-129 | 129-139 | 139-149 | 149-159 |
If your resting heart rate isn’t 60, the calculator adjusts for it: choose the reserve method and enter yours, measured right after you wake up.
How to read the chart
- Age gives an estimate, not your max. The formula is right on average, but two riders of the same age can differ by 15 bpm. If you’ve seen higher numbers on your heart rate monitor during an all-out effort than the max in the chart, yours is higher: use that number.
- The limits repeat because the top of one zone is the bottom of the next. Stay in the middle of each range if you want to be sure you’re training in it.
- Heart rate lags behind. In intervals under 3 minutes it doesn’t have time to climb; for short efforts, go by power. The watts for each zone are in the power zones chart.
- Heat, fatigue and caffeine change it. In the heat or after a bad night’s sleep, your heart rate runs 5-10 bpm higher at the same pace; don’t force it into the zone if your legs aren’t there.
For more precision, zones based on lactate threshold heart rate (Joe Friel’s method) are the most accurate for cycling, because they start from a test rather than your age. They’re in the calculator, and the guide to cycling training zones explains what to do in each one and how many hours to spend there.
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum heart rate for a 40-year-old?
With the Tanaka formula, 208 − 0.7 × 40 = 180 beats per minute. That's an average: half of 40-year-olds are above it and half below, often by 10 bpm or more.
What heart rate is zone 2 at age 50?
With an estimated max of 173 bpm, zone 2 (60-70%) runs from 104 to 121 bpm. If you use heart rate reserve with a resting heart rate of 60 bpm, it rises to 128-139 bpm.
Why not use 220 minus your age?
Because it underestimates max heart rate from about age 40 on: at 60 it gives 160 bpm and Tanaka gives 166. Tanaka and his team proposed their formula in 2001 after reviewing 351 studies covering almost 19,000 people.
What if I know my real max heart rate?
Use it instead of your age. Multiply your max heart rate by 0.6 and 0.7 for zone 2, or enter it in the heart rate zone calculator, which does the rest.