SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Sports Act. Living
Sec. Elite Sports and Performance Enhancement
Volume 7 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fspor.2025.1553998
This article is part of the Research TopicStrength Training and Performance Optimization: The Triad of Physical, Psychological, and Physiological ExcellenceView all 10 articles
Rating of perceived exertion in continuous sports: A scoping review with evidence gap map
Provisionally accepted
- 1University of Maia, Maia, Portugal
- 2Research Centre in Sports Sciences, Health Sciences and Human Development (CIDESD), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal
- 3University of Beira Interior, Covilhã, Castelo Branco, Portugal
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Introduction: Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) is widely used for assessing training load in sports due to its validity, simplicity, and utility. Despite its broad application, the diverse contexts and methodologies in which it is used warrant a comprehensive review of the existing evidence. Objective: This scoping review aims to map the current evidence on the use of RPE, focusing on its application, measurement methods, and reliability across different continuous sports. Methods: Databases PubMed, SportDiscus (via EBSCO), Scopus, and Web of Science (core collection) were systematically searched until 22 May 2025 using the search terms: (((RPE) OR (rating of perceived exertion) OR (Borg Scale)) AND (load) AND ((sports) OR (exercise) OR athletes)) Studies were included in this review if they complied with the following criteria: (1) conducted in continuous modes of exercise, (2) considering the comparison with other internal and external load measures, (3) when healthy and trained athletes were studied, (4) written in English language. Results: A total of 234 studies involving 4388 athletes were included in this review. Findings indicated that RPE is primarily used in training control and prescription (~35%). A small number of studies focused directly on female athletes (~7%), similarly master (~1%) and elite athletes (~13%) research was scarce. Conclusion: The findings suggest that although RPE is a valuable tool, variability in application across different exercise settings highlights the necessity to standardize its guidelines. Future research should focus on assessing the use of RPE in under-represented continuous sports. Protocol and registration: Open Science Framework (osf.io/k86eb).
Keywords: competition, Physiology, Cyclic sports, effort, Internal load
Received: 31 Dec 2024; Accepted: 26 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Torres, Maia, Nakamura, Neiva and Sousa. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Gonçalo Torres, University of Maia, Maia, Portugal
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