A Pilot Study Comparing Physiological Responses of Phase III Cardiac Patients to Recumbent and Upright Exercise Using the RPE Scale

Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) are used for exercise programming of cardiac rehabilitation patients, whenever it is difficult to use heart rate to set intensity due to medication or other factors. This investigation examined the physiological responses to two stepping exercise modes (upright and recumbent) at the same RPE. Analysis indicated significant physiological differences between the modes of exercise which may be mediated by postural differences. Specifically, the physiological responses to the recumbent exercise, but not the upright exercise, had the expected relationship with RPE, with recumbent stepping requiring less physiological effort than the upright stepping at the same RPE. As such, we cannot recommend with confidence that the prescription for upright exercise be made based on data from recumbent exercise or vice-versa.