title: A normative zone of RPE ratings for use during graded exercise testing.
abstract: The purposes of this investigation were to identify a zone of normality for ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and to compare the RPE responses in patients with coronary artery disease to this zone. The zone was generated from RPE estimated during the last minute of each stage of a Bruce treadmill test in 44 normal adult men. RPE were regressed against the corresponding MET level for each exercise stage. The zone was established as the 95% confidence interval (CI) spanning the average RPE vs MET regression line. RPE estimated during the last 1.0 min. of a Bruce or Modified Balke treadmill test administered to adult men (n=37) with coronary artery disease were compared to the 95% CI zone. A total of 19 (51%) of the coronary artery disease patients estimated RPE during a progressively incremented treadmill test that were above the zone, indicating a comparatively greater than normal perception of strain for a given metabolic stress. The presently generated zone provides a practical use of RPE in the interpretation of clinical exercise tests.
authors.affiliation: Center for Exercise and Health-Fitness Research, University of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA. goss@pitt.edu
authors.forename: Fredric L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Goss
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: Kenneth F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Metz
authors.forename: Bruce J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Noble
authors.forename: Lawrence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Adler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005082:Physical Exertion; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results