Borg CR-10 Scale

0

Nothing at all

Guidelines & Evidence

Verified

Last Review: 2026

When to Use

Quantifying perceived exertion during high-intensity interval training (HIIT) where fine discrimination at maximal intensities is needed

Pain intensity measurement in musculoskeletal rehabilitation — as an alternative to the 0–10 NRS

Breathlessness assessment in pulmonary patients (modified Borg dyspnoea scale)

Strength and resistance training — quantifying perceived effort for repetitions in reserve (RIR) comparison

Research requiring ratio-scaled perceived exertion measurement

CR-10 vs 6-20 Borg

The CR-10 uses a 0–10 format with non-linear verbal anchors. Unlike the 6–20 scale, it is a ratio scale — a rating of 10 (maximum) represents truly twice the perceived exertion of 5 (heavy). It is more sensitive at high intensities and less sensitive at low intensities compared to the 6–20 scale. Choose CR-10 for strength training and HIIT; choose 6–20 for continuous aerobic exercise monitoring.

Last Comprehensive Review: 2026

Recent Journal Updates

WHO NewsJun 23, 2026

WHO urges scale up of newborn screening to improve early detection and care of birth defects

Clinical Context

We think this might be relevant to the clinical guidance for Borg CR 10.

JAMAJun 23, 2026

A New Understanding of HFpEF in Severe Obesity

Clinical Context

We think this has broad domain relevance to Borg CR 10.

WHO NewsJun 15, 2026

Open letter to leaders of G7, G20, BRICS and all nations on finalizing the WHO Pandemic Agreement’s Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing annex

Clinical Context

We think this might be relevant to the clinical guidance for Borg CR 10.