What happens to maximal heart rate as you age?

• A. Increases with age
• B. Remains constant with age
• C. Decreases with age
• D. Varies unpredictably with age

Answer: (C)

Maximal heart rate decreases with age. As people get older, the heart’s maximum beating rate during intense exercise tends to decline because the heart’s electrical system and its regulation by the autonomic nervous system become less responsive. The sinoatrial node can’t fire as rapidly at peak effort, and the heart’s sensitivity to sympathetic stimulation diminishes, limiting how high the rate can climb. This explains the common estimate that HRmax decreases with age (roughly 220 minus age, though individual variation exists). Medications such as beta-blockers can further blunt the HR response, but the overall pattern is a downward trend in maximal heart rate as age increases.