No better or worse. The 220-age is crap, and so is this...at least for what everyone on here wants from it.

The article uses the estimation in the context of stress tests in a clinical setting. Perhaps an MD can chime in whether the MHR value used in a stress test actually needs any accuracy, or not.

WAY off for me - worse than the 220 formula. At my age my max HR is predicted to be 200 - .67 x my age (48) = 167. My max HR is ~190 (the highest I've ever seen is 192 but that was 8 years ago).

I get a stress test every year - they increase speed and incline every few minutes until I call quits (my calves always cramp before I hit max HR). I asked my doc one time about leaving it flat and cranking up the speed if he really wanted to see max HR. He said we get close enough to see what he wants to see - don't need to hit my actual max. I get 180+. But he is a triathlete as well so he knows I know better than some formula what my max HR is after 11 years of training together.

It is highly unlikely that their study population is similar to the general population of triathletes in all/most important attributes (BMI, hormonal status, exercise history, level of fitness, comorbid medical conditions, nutrition, medications, supplements, etc.), so therefore the results likely cannot be applied to triathletes in general.

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Two wheels good. Four wheels bad.

Except I'd go a step further and say it's a useless rule that can't be applied to the population in general, i.e. anyone. They just spent a lot of research effort to refine a stupid concept.

The rule predicts a MHR of 163 for me. That's over 30 bpm too low! It was off when I was only a cyclist. It's off now that I'm a triathlete. It would be off if I was completely out of shape.

Way off for me too.

Gave me 171! Which I can hit just THINKING about a hill. Training Peaks has me at 186 so give or take a bit there for HR monitor spikes or whatever, I'd say this new formula is way off the mark.

I forgot to mention - the people in the study were REFERRED TO HAVE A STRESS TEST - therefore 100% of them had symptoms that indicated a stress test.

What % of triathletes have symptoms needing a stress test?

So there. The findings can only be applied to the segment of the general population age 40 -89 who are being referred for a stress test.

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Two wheels good. Four wheels bad.

My understanding was that doctors use the old or new formula to apply an "upper safe" limit for people doing exorcise who may have a condition which warrants an "upper safe" limit.

Not a doctor but my brother had a valve replacement, after 8 weeks he was cleared but advised not to go over the 220 minus age formula.

I don't know if the old or new formula was ever intended to establish training zones/levels.

Maurice

I did testing of my max hr through a physical exertion test. There are a few good papers written on it online. If you ever see your hr go higher in training or racing, up the number to that.

I remember reading that another way to test is to race a 5k. If you push hard enough in the race the highest reading you get will be your max. (likely at the finish).

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