Influence of mode of training and gender on Borg's Rating of Perceived Exertion in cardiac rehabilitation

Abstract

The influence of gender and training mode (treadmill, cycle, swimming and volleyball) on Borg's Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) and heart rate was investigated in a Phase III cardiac rehabilitation program. Twenty-three patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) participated for eight months in a triweekly 60 minute exercise session where RPE and heart rate were monitored at peak activity. The results indicated that both male and female IHD paticents have equal ability to perceive effort, A significant difference (p>.05) was found in the influence of training mode on both RPE and heart rate in the case of volleyball, although the subjects were required to train on all four modes within a narrow heart rate range. An analysis of individual trends showed that certain subjects were able to rate RPE consistently with heart rate over all four modes, while others were not. Overall the subjects were consistent at rating RPE within a narrow heart rate range (12 beats per minuter) 667, of the time. These findings reveal that RPE is a valid general indicator of work intensity on various modes. It is recommended that the RPE scale be used with caution for IHD patients requiring strict, monitoring of exercise intensity, and that it be used for intraindividual comparisons only.