The Borg Ratings Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale is a standardized tool used to communicate personal perceptions of exertion and fatigue during physical evaluations. It correlates to both heart rate and verbal descriptors, and can improve awareness of how the body responds to exercise.
Perceived exertion refers to the subjective evaluation of the exertion expended during exercise. When it comes to subjective qualities, such as exertion, pain, or illness, it can be difficult for one person to accurately gauge another’s perceptions. However, during medical tests and fitness assessments, such communication may be necessary. For this reason, it is often useful to adopt a standardized scale to describe personal perceptions of exertion and fatigue. The most common means of expressing perceived exertion is the Borg scale, a graduated rating system ranging from six to 20.
The Borg Ratings Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale was developed in the 1950s by the Swedish psychologist Gunnar Borg to address the issue of physician-client communication. With the intention of creating an accurate scale that would be transferable among a wide variety of individuals and tasks, Borg developed perception scales for both effort and pain. Today, the Borg RPE scale is widely used among physicians, personal trainers, and rehabilitation professionals to communicate with patients and clients during physical evaluations.
The numbers used in the Borg RPE scale correlate to both heart rate and a verbal descriptor. In general, the perceived exertion rating is equal to one-tenth of the client’s heart rate. At rest, the average heart rate is typically around 70, with a corresponding RPE value of seven. Using the accompanying verbal descriptors, the perceived exertion would be described as “extremely light.”
At the other end of the scale, a client working hard on a treadmill might have a heart rate of 170. In this case, the corresponding RPE value would be 17, with a verbal descriptor of “very hard.” The highest level of perceived exertion, a 20, is described as “maximal effort,” and is generally only achieved in controlled circumstances with very fit individuals. For most training programs, an RPE value of nine to 12 indicates a safe and effective level of intensity.
Ideally, to optimize the accuracy of the RPE scale, the first few sessions would involve the client and the facilitator working together with the aid of a heart rate monitor. A heart rate monitor provides immediate, accurate, and continuous feedback on exercise intensity, and an RPE scale provides a tool to communicate and rank personal perceptions that accompany heart rate level. Over time, the client should become comfortable enough with the scale to easily communicate the level of effort to the facilitator.
Combining heart rate monitoring with the use of an RPE scale can improve awareness of how the body responds to exercise. Armed with this knowledge, it becomes easier to reach and maintain target training intensity based on specific goals. More importantly, a concrete understanding of personal effort limits will reduce the risk of dangers associated with overexertion during exercise.
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