title: 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.
abstract: 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).
authors.affiliation: 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
authors.forename: Vitor Oliveira
authors.initials: VO
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Edimar Alcides
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Bocchi
authors.forename: Guilherme Veiga
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Guimarães
mesh_terms: 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