Maximum Heart Rate at Age 52 — Tanaka, Fox & Gellish Formulas

Pre-solved maximum heart rate for age 52. Tanaka (2001): 172 bpm | Fox (220-age): 168 bpm | Gellish (2007): 171 bpm. Training zones (Tanaka): Z1 Warm-up 86-103 bpm, Z2 Fat Burn 103-120 bpm, Z3 Aerobic 120-138 bpm, Z4 Threshold 138-155 bpm, Z5 VO2 Max 155-172 bpm. AHA moderate intensity: 86-120 bpm. ..

ESTIMATED MAX HEART RATE — AGE 52

172

Tanaka (2001)

Most accurate

208 − 0.7 × age

168

Fox (220−age)

Classic formula

220 − age

171

Gellish (2007)

Validated

207 − 0.7 × age

Max HR declines ~0.7 bpm/year · AHA moderate: 86120 bpm · Vigorous: 120146 bpm

5 TRAINING ZONES — AGE 52 (Tanaka HRmax 172 bpm)

Zone%BPM RangeBenefit
Z1 Warm-up50-60%86103Recovery, very easy
Z2 Fat Burn60-70%103120Fat oxidation, aerobic base
Z3 Aerobic70-80%120138Cardiovascular fitness
Z4 Threshold80-90%138155Lactate threshold, race pace
Z5 VO2 Max90-100%155172Max cardiac output
AHA Moderate50–70%86120150 min/week recommended
AHA Vigorous70–85%12014675 min/week recommended

ZONE BARS — HRmax 172 bpm

Z1 Warm-up86103 bpm
Z2 Fat Burn103120 bpm
Z3 Aerobic120138 bpm
Z4 Threshold138155 bpm
Z5 VO2 Max155172 bpm

FORMULA COMPARISON — AGE 52

Tanaka (2001) — recommended172 bpm
Fox (1971) — classic168 bpm
Gellish (2007) — validated171 bpm

HOW MAX HEART RATE IS CALCULATED AT AGE 52

Maximum heart rate declines ~0.7 bpm per year after age 20. At age 52, the three validated formulas give 172 bpm (Tanaka), 168 bpm (Fox), and 171 bpm (Gellish). The Tanaka formula is recommended as the most accurate.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the maximum heart rate for a 52-year-old?

For a 52-year-old, the estimated maximum heart rate (HRmax) is:\n\nTanaka (2001) — recommended: 172 bpm\nFormula: 208 − (0.7 × 52) = 172 bpm\n\nFox (1971) — classic: 168 bpm\nFormula: 220 − 52 = 168 bpm\n\nGellish (2007) — validated: 171 bpm\nFormula: 207 − (0.7 × 52) = 171 bpm\n\nTraining zones at age 52 (using Tanaka HRmax 172 bpm):\nZ1 Warm-up (50-60%): 86-103 bpm\nZ2 Fat Burn (60-70%): 103-120 bpm\nZ3 Aerobic (70-80%): 120-138 bpm\nZ4 Threshold (80-90%): 138-155 bpm\nZ5 VO2 Max (90-100%): 155-172 bpm\n\nAHA moderate exercise target (50-70%): 86-120 bpm\nAHA vigorous exercise target (70-85%): 120-146 bpm\n\nNote: These are population averages. Your actual HRmax may vary by ±10-12 bpm. The only accurate way to measure HRmax is via a maximal graded exercise test under medical supervision.

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Max heart rate age 52 · Tanaka: 172 bpm · Fox: 168 bpm · Gellish: 171 bpm · Sources: Tanaka et al. (2001), Fox (1971), Gellish et al. (2007)