New Heart Rate Recommendations for Women

Making News:

Widely used recommendations for determining heart rate maximum (HRmax) in women have been called into question. According to researchers, the popular formula of 220 – Age = HRmax may produce numbers too high for optimal female physical health. After studying how HR response to exercise stress testing was associated with age and death rates among 5,437 asymptomatic women over about 16 years, scientists settled on a new calculation: 206 – (Age x 0.88) = HRmax.

So where did the original formula come from? “The definition of a normal HR response to exercise stress testing in women is poorly understood, given that most studies describing a normative response were predominately based on male data,” stated the study authors. the study was published in Circulation (2010; 122 [2], 130-37)

For the latest research, statistics, sample classes, and more, "Like" IDEA on Facebook here.

Ryan Halvorson

IDEA Author/Presenter

Subscribe

Ryan Halvorson is the associate editor for IDEA He... moreRyan Halvorson is the associate editor for IDEA Health & Fitness Association; a personal trainer at the Wave House Athletic Club; and the creator of www.RYAN'Sworkouts.com, an online forum dedicated to consumer fitness education. He is an internationally recognized speaker and has authored hundreds of articles on the subjects of health and fitness.
less

IDEA Fitness Journal, Volume 8, Number 1

January 2011

© 2011 by IDEA Health & Fitness Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited.

Get the award-winning IDEA Fitness Journal delivered to your door every month!

Get IDEA Fitness Journal