Exercsie Intensity - Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE)

Health-fitness practitioner is using alternative method which is Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) to measure exercise intensity and target for the training zone. RPE provides much the same information about exercise intensity as the physiological measures such as Heart Rate (HR) and oxygen consumption (VȮ2)(Brown, Miller, & Eason, 2006; McArdle, Katch, & Katch, 2006, pp. 492-493; Robertson, 2004; Scott & Edward, 2004, pp. 312-315; Wilmore & Costill, 2004, pp. 623-624). The client can use it as a guide for his/her aerobic conditioning program or for sedentary clients complying to physical activities guidelines (9th Jan 2009 article).

The use of RPE in health-fitness and clinical setting is based on Borg’s range model (shown in figure), which describe how RPE changes from a very low exercise stimulus (RPE response – Minimal of 6) to a very high level exercise stimulus (RPE response – Maximum of 20) (Borg, 1998).

The RPE is influenced by physiological, psychological, clinical, and performance event (Robertson, 2004). The physiological factors are classified as respiratory-metabolic, peripheral and non-specific.

Respiratory-Metabolic
1. Pulmonary ventilation
2. Oxygen uptake
3. Carbon dioxide production
4. Heart Rate
5. Blood pressure

Peripheral
1. Metabolic acidosis (pH, lactic acid)
2. Blood glucose
3. Blood flow to muscle
4. Muscle fibre type
5. Free fatty acids
Muscle glycogen

Non-specific
1. Hormonal regulation (catecholamines, β-endorphins)
2. Temperature regulation (core and skin)
3. Pain
4. Cortisol and serotonin
5. Cerebral blood flow and oxygen

And the psychosocial mediators include:
1. Emotion or mood – anxiety, depression, extroversion, neuroticism
2. Cognitive function – dissociation, self-efficacy
3. Perceptual process – Pain tolerance, sensory augmentation or reduction
4. Social or situation – music, social setting

References

1. Armstrong, L., Balady, G. J., Berry, M. J., Davis, S. E., Davy, B. M., Davy, K. P., et al. (2006). ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription (7th ed.): Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
2. Borg, G. (1998). Borg's Perceived Exertion and Pain Scales. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
3. Brown, S. P., Miller, W. C., & Eason, J. M. (2006). Exercise Physiology (Basis of Human Movement in Health and Disease. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
4. McArdle, W. D., Katch, F. I., & Katch, V. L. (2006). Exercise Physiology (Energy, Nutrition, & Human Performance) (6th ed.): Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
5. Robertson, R. J. (2004). Perceived Exertion for Practitioners (1st ed.): Human Kinetics.
6. Scott, K. P., & Edward, T. H. (2004). Exercise Physiology: Theory and Application to Fitness and Performance (5th ed.): McGraw Hill.
7. Wilmore, J. H., & Costill, D. L. (2004). Physiology of Sport and Exercise (3rd ed.): Human Kinetics.