What is RPE? How to Integrate it into Your HR/Power Training

​The potential of RPE is vast, and its use in training regimens is growing. Training with a Rate of Perceived Exertion can help professional and recreational athletes take their performance to a new level while avoiding the risks associated with overtraining. With RPE, you can measure your effort levels accurately during exercise sessions, maximize your performance, and enjoy tremendous success. 

What is RPE?
RPE, or Rate of Perceived Exertion, measures an individual's physical exertion level during training or exercise. Athletes typically use it to measure the intensity of their training or performance regarding physical strain and fatigue. RPE is also known as Borg's Scale, after Gunnar Borg, who developed it in the 1970s.

RPE ratings are measured on a scale from zero to 10, with zero meaning no effort and ten being maximal effort. Each rating corresponds to a specific description that conveys what a cyclist is experiencing during exercise. For example, a rating of seven might indicate "challenging, but not maximal," while a rating of nine might indicate "very strenuous." Training programs can also be adapted based on an athlete's RPE results, allowing coaches and trainers to gauge how much an athlete can handle during any session more accurately.

Athletes in various sports have used RPE for decades to measure the intensity of their training and performance levels. It has been instrumental in endurance sports such as cycling and running, where an individual's level of exertion may vary over long distances or when doing interval workouts. In these activities, monitoring RPE allows athletes to pace themselves appropriately and prevent potential injuries due to overexertion.

While RPE ratings are subjective measures that can vary from one person to another, they are still practical tools for gauging an athlete's performance level and ensuring that they stay within their comfort zone when exercising or training hard. By leveraging this powerful tool, athletes can better plan their workouts and ensure they get the most out of every session without risking injury or burnout due to overtraining.

How is RPE related to heart rate and power training?
RPE (Rating of Perceived Exertion) measures how hard an individual feels working during exercise. While heart rate and power are objective measures of exercise intensity, RPE provides a complete picture of an individual's exertion level in conjunction with these measures. Using RPE alongside heart rate and power, athletes and coaches can better understand an individual's physiological response to exercise and adjust training intensity accordingly. For example, an athlete may be able to maintain a high power output or heart rate but feel that their RPE is very low, which may indicate that they are not pushing themselves hard enough and need to increase the intensity of their training. Conversely, an athlete may have a high RPE, but a low heart rate or power output, indicating fatigue and the need to reduce training intensity.

TRAINING ZONES
– Recovery: Zone 1 (50 - 60% MHR) – RPE 2-3 / (40-60% of your FTP)
– Endurance: Zone 2 (60 - 70% MHR) – RPE 4-5 / (65-80% of your FTP)
– Tempo: Zone 3 (70 - 80% MHR) - RPE 6-7 / (85-95% of your FTP)
– Threshold: Zone 4 (80 - 90% MHR) - RPE 7.5 / (99-110% of your FTP)
– V02max: Zone 5 (90 - 100% MHR)- RPE 8 / (130-150% of your FTP)
– Neuromuscular power: (all-out) – RPE 9+ / (200% of your FTP)