The Borg scale as an important tool of self-monitoring and self-regulation of exercise prescription in heart failure patients during hydrotherapy. A randomized blinded controlled trial.
BACKGROUND
The Borg Scale may be a useful tool for heart failure patients to self-monitor and self-regulate exercise on land or in water (hydrotherapy) by maintaining the heart rate (HR) between the anaerobic threshold and respiratory compensation point.


RESULTS
Patients performed a cardiopulmonary exercise test to determine their anaerobic threshold/respiratory compensation points. The percentage of the mean HR during the exercise session in relation to the anaerobic threshold HR (%EHR-AT), in relation to the respiratory compensation point (%EHR-RCP), in relation to the peak HR by the exercise test (%EHR-Peak) and in relation to the maximum predicted HR (%EHR-Predicted) was calculated. Next, patients were randomized into the land or water exercise group. One blinded investigator instructed the patients in each group to exercise at a level between "relatively easy and slightly tiring". The mean HR throughout the 30-min exercise session was recorded. The %EHR-AT and %EHR-predicted did not differ between the land and water exercise groups, but they differed in the %EHR-RCP (95 +/-7 to 86 +/-7, P<0.001) and in the %EHR-Peak (85 +/-8 to 78 +/-9, P=0.007).


CONCLUSIONS
Exercise guided by the Borg scale maintains the patient's HR between the anaerobic threshold and respiratory compensation point (ie, in the exercise training zone).
Carvalho
Vitor Oliveira
VO
Unidade Clínica de Insuficiência Cardíaca e Transplante do Instituto do Coração do Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da USP (InCor HC-FMUSP), Brazil. vitor.carvalho@usp.br
Bocchi
Edimar Alcides
EA
Guimarães
Guilherme Veiga
GV
D000328:Adult; D015308:Anaerobic Threshold; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005080:Exercise Test; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D006875:Hydrotherapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012119:Respiration; D012648:Self Care; D016896:Treatment Outcome