When athletes exercise, they frequently want to work their heart to a particular fitness target zone and this is usually defined by reference to an individual's Maximum Heart Rate or MHR. The MHR will vary from person to person and is also a function of the age of an individual and how physically fit they are. It's not an exact science but a rough and ready rule of thumb, which is frequently used to determine a person's MHR is to use the formula, MHR = (220 - your age) for men, or MHR = (226 - your age) for women.
There are many different ways of measuring MHR and there are scientific ways of determining a more accurate value for this figure but they generally involve the use of a treadmill and other measuring equipment. However, for most purposes using the above formula will be sufficiently accurate to within about 10bpm.
The table below shows the typical Target Heart Rate that a healthy person should aim to keep within when carrying out exercise. The heart rate range shown in this table is the range for a particular age, which should be sustained for a particular exercise level of the type shown in the Fitness Target Zone table underneath. This figure will be lower than the MHR figure worked out above and is a figure within which the heart could normally be safely exercised without being over strained.
Target Heart Rate During Exercise |
| Age | Heart Rate Range (BPM) |
|---|
| 15 | 123 - 164 |
| 20 | 120 - 160 |
| 25 | 117 - 156 |
| 30 | 114 - 152 |
| 35 | 111 - 148 |
| 40 | 108 - 144 |
| 45 | 105 - 140 |
| 50 | 102 - 136 |
| 55 | 99 - 132 |
| 60 | 96 - 128 |
| 65 | 90 - 120 |
| 70 | 90 - 120 |
| 75 | 87 - 116 |
The table below, shows the types of benefits which can be experienced by the human body when exercising to different intensity levels and the percentage of the Maximum Heart Rate that shoud be aimed for, in order to achieve those benefits.
Fitness Target Zones: Heart Rates |
| Exercise Level | Benefits | Intensity Level
(Max HR %) |
|---|
| Light Exercise | Healthy Heart
Maintenance | 50% - 60% |
| Weight Loss | Burn Fat & Calories | 60% - 70% |
| Base - Aerobic | Increase stamina & endurance | 70% - 80% |
| Conditioning | Fitness conditioning, muscle building, and athletic training | 80% - 90% |
| Athletic - elite | Athletic training and endurance | 90% - 100% |
For example, if you want to increase your stamina and endurance, select your favourite exercise and keep within 70%-80% of your maximum heart rate, based on your age, for at least 30 minutes a day, 3 times a week.
Acknowledgements: www.heart.com
So now we understand a little more about how our age can affect our Maximum Heart Rate and the Fitness Target Zones which can bring us particular health benefits, we would like you to carry out another experiment. Using the above information, we would like you to each work out your individual Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) and then carry out three short physical exercises: one at low intensity (55% of your MHR), one at moderate intensity (75% MHR) and one at high intensity (90% MHR). Each exercise should be completed for 2 minutes and you should record your heart rate immediately upon finishing each exercise. You may need to experiment a little first, to work out which exercise and intensity will give you the right percentage of your MHR.
Once you have completed your experiment, each individual should enter their results on the following form and submit it to the Excitement of Science team. Again, your data will be used to help us draw conclusions in the Grand Finale in June. Have fun!