Heart Rate Recovery Calculator
Enter peak heart rate and heart rate after 1 min of rest. 180 minus 120 gives 60 bpm. 170 minus 140 gives 30. 190 minus 100 gives 90. Just the drop, not a clinic assessment.
Results
Enter data and click Calculate.
Not a clinic verdict. The calculator subtracts two bpm readings. When the drop is negative or peak is 0, the result stays blank.
How it works
HRR in this calculator is peak heart rate minus the rate after one minute of rest. 180 minus 120 = 60. The result is 60 bpm. 170 minus 140 = 30 bpm. 190 minus 100 = 90 bpm. Both values in the same units.
Field a is the peak, field b is the one-minute reading. Order matters: 120 minus 180 does not pass, because the drop would be negative and the result is a blank. Peak 0 also leaves a blank.
60 bpm at 180 and 120 is only the difference of two watch numbers. Sport sometimes uses that as a recovery estimate, not as a lab test. Another moment after the effort gives another difference.
HRmax from age lives on maximum heart rate. A percent of that maximum lives on target heart rate. There is no multiplier here. Only two bpm values and a subtraction.
Enter the peak, enter the one-minute reading, then Calculate. A comma in 180.5 parses. Not a training plan and not a clinic heart score.
180 minus 120 gives 60 bpm. 170 minus 140 gives 30 bpm. 190 minus 100 gives 90 bpm. A negative drop does not print a minus. It stays blank.
HRR = peak − after 1 min; blank when peak ≤ 0 or drop < 0
HRR = peak minus the rate after 1 min. 180 and 120 give 60 bpm. A negative drop stays blank.
60 bpm
30 bpm
90 bpm
Related calculators
Common questions
What drop at 180 and 120?
60 bpm. 180 minus 120. The calculator rounds the result.
What does HRR mean in this calculator?
Peak minus the rate after 1 min. 170 minus 140 gives 30 bpm.
What about 190 and 100?
90 bpm. A larger drop, the same bpm unit.
What if the one-minute reading is above the peak?
The drop would be negative. The result is a blank and does not print a minus.
What if peak is 0?
A blank. Peak must be positive.
Is this a fitness score?
No. Two watch numbers. Not a clinic verdict and not a lab test.
Does field order matter?
Yes. Peak is first. Swap them and 120 with 180 leaves a blank.
Does the calculator multiply by age?
No. Two bpm values only. HRmax from age lives on another calculator.
Is 60 bpm a norm?
The calculator has no norm. It shows 60 because 180 minus 120 is 60.
How do I calculate heart rate recovery (HRR)?
HRR = peak HR − HR after 1 minute. At 180 and 120 the drop is 60 bpm. At 170 and 140: 30. At 190 and 100: 90. If the 1-minute reading is higher than the peak, the result stays blank.
Does a drop under 12 bpm mean disease?
This calculator only subtracts two numbers. It does not diagnose. Literature sometimes cites rough thresholds, but leave interpretation to a clinician — especially with medication or heart disease.
Do I have to measure at exactly 60 seconds?
Yes, if you compare sessions to yourself. A different moment after effort changes the difference. This formula assumes a 1-minute reading, not 2 minutes or 10 seconds.
How is this different from resting heart rate?
Resting HR is measured in the morning at rest. Recovery is the drop from exercise peak after one minute. Two different measurements and two different pages.
Knowledge sources
The calculator subtracts two bpm readings. This is not an ECG and not a stress test.
Page updated in 2026.