Research
Adherence
Women have significantly lower absolute and relative VO2max compared to men, but the Borg scale of perceived exertion provides a valid estimate of relative intensity for both sexes, with minor sex differences at lower intensities.
Use the Borg scale (6-20) to gauge your effort; it is a reliable tool for both men and women. However, if you are a woman, you might perceive low-intensity exercise as slightly harder than a man doing the same absolute work. Adjust your perception accordingly, but trust the scale for moderate-to-high intensities.
StrongQualifiesHIGH confidence
Women had 18.7% (p<0.001) lower VO2max than men... Borg scores appear to give a good estimate of the relative exercise intensity, although observing a slightly different relationship than reported in previous reference material from small populations.
Why this rating
Large sample, objective validation of subjective scale.
Source
Aerobic Capacity Reference Data in 3816 Healthy Men and Women 20–90 Years
Löe H et al. · PLoS ONE · 2013
cross_sectional · n=3816Cited 214×
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