Comparison of Two Rating Scales in the Estimation of Perceived Exertion in a Pulse-Conducted Exercise Test

Abstract

With the aid of a feed-back system linear accelerations of heart rate of 4, 5 or 8 beats/min² were obtained in 90 bicycle-ergometer tests on 30 healthy policemen, and the linearity of two rating scales for the perception of exertion was studied. The new scale described by Borg and the modification described by us were both found to give highly linear, repeatable and mutually comparable results. The first scale gave the best performance in many respects and is the more preferable. At the same time the reproducibility of the pulse-conducted test results was studied and was found to be very high for work load and exercise blood pressure readings, and also with the new acceleration of 8 beats/min² which was studied for the first time. The virtues of linear acceleration of heart rate in ergometric testing and of the pulse-conducted test method are discussed briefly.