Borg Scale for Rating Perceived Exertion

Borg Scale for rating perceived exertion is often used during a six minute walk test. It was described by Gunnar AV Borg in 1970. It was constructed to increase linearly with work intensity depending on bicycle ergometry exercise. The scale has been translated into multiple languages and has good correlation with heart rate and other physiological variables [2]. Borg scale has values ranging from 6 to 20 and corresponds to heart rate between 60 and 200 per minute. Ranges between 12 to 14 represent moderate to somewhat hard exercise. 6 is for no exertion and 20 for maximum exertion.

Borg also developed a Borg CR10, a Category-Ratio (CR) scale in 1982 for a simpler rating [2]. It has values of 0 at rest and 10 at maximum possible effort. This was meant to make it easier for lay people to understand the scale. He proposed that it can be used for rating other symptoms like breathing difficulty, aches and pain.

References

1. Borg G. Perceived exertion as an indicator of somatic stress. Scand J Rehabil Med. 1970;2(2):92-8. PMID: 5523831.
2. Borg GA. Psychophysical bases of perceived exertion. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1982;14(5):377-81. PMID: 7154893.