Perceived exertion and exercise intensity in children with or without structural heart defects.

To assess the ability of children with cardiac disease to quantify their effort during exercise with the Borg perceived exertion scale, and to determine the validity of the scale for use with children by comparing the ratings with direct measurements of exercise intensity, we exercised 36 children with various cardiac defects and 15 normal children to exhaustion with the Bruce treadmill protocol. The subjects were able to quantify exercise intensity, so perceived exertion ratings can be used to predetermine the level of exercise intensity in an unmonitored setting and may be useful in defining appropriate exercise programs.