The Borg scale owes its name to its creator, Dr. Gunnar Borg, who introduced the concept of perception of effort first around the 1950s.
In this article we will consider the RPE scale, which is the most used and the easiest to evaluate.
the RPE is used to assess the subjective perception of effort in relation to the extent of the effort itself.
Borg chose a series of 15 increasing numbers (from 6 to 20) and related them to heart rate values during physical exertion. In particular the lower value of the scale (the 6) corresponds ideally to 60 beats per minute, while the higher value (20) corresponds to a heart rate of 200 bpm.
As we have said, the Borg scale is a simple method for evaluating the perception of effort and can be used both in sports and in the medical field. For example, a test can be interrupted when the subject feels a certain effort, or the test indicator can be related to the level of perception of fatigue.
In order for the Borg scale to be useful, it is necessary to explain the various points on the scale to the individual with the utmost clarity before the test begins. The judgment given by the subject must be as objective and honest as possible without overestimating or underestimating the effort.
SCALE RPE DI BORG | ||
| 6 | no effort | 20% |
| 7 | extremely light | 30% |
| 8 | 40% | |
| 9 | very light | 50% |
| 10 | 55% | |
| 11 | light | 60% |
| 12 | 65% | |
| 13 | a little 'heavy | 70% |
| 14 | 75% | |
| 15 | heavy | 80% |
| 16 | 85% | |
| 17 | really heavy | 90% |
| 18 | 95% | |
| 19 | extremely heavy | 100% |
| 20 | maximum effort | exhaustion |
In this table the heart rate has been related to the Borg scale ; we can note for example how the level 16 corresponds to 85% of the HR max, heart rate to which is placed, normally, the anaerobic threshold
