Warm-up: Begin with a proper warm-up to prepare your body for the exercise.
Set up a 10-minute closed-loop test consisting of 5 stages, each lasting 2 minutes. Using the Borg scale (see chart), start the test at RPE (ratings of perceived exertion) 11 and incrementally increase RPE to 13, 15, 17, and finally 20 for each stage.
Measure the running speed in meters per minute at the point of exhaustion. This is the point in the last 2-minute block where you can no longer sustain the effort. Record the grade or incline (if any) of the running surface used during the test (expressed as a decimal, e.g., 0.02 for a 2% grade).
| Age Group | 25th Percentile | 50th Percentile | 65th Percentile | 75th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | |||||
| 20-29 | 40.1 | 48.0 | 52.9 | 55.2 | 61.8 |
| 30-39 | 35.9 | 42.4 | 46.6 | 49.2 | 56.5 |
| 40-49 | 31.9 | 37.8 | 42.3 | 45.0 | 52.1 |
| 50-59 | 27.1 | 32.6 | 36.8 | 39.7 | 45.6 |
| 60-69 | 23.7 | 28.2 | 32.1 | 34.5 | 40.3 |
| 70-79 | 20.4 | 24.4 | 27.8 | 30.4 | 36.6 |
| Women | |||||
| 20-29 | 30.5 | 37.6 | 42.3 | 44.7 | 51.3 |
| 30-39 | 25.3 | 30.2 | 34.0 | 36.1 | 41.4 |
| 40-49 | 22.1 | 26.7 | 30.2 | 32.4 | 38.4 |
| 50-59 | 19.9 | 23.4 | 25.8 | 27.6 | 32.0 |
| 60-69 | 17.2 | 20.0 | 22.2 | 23.8 | 27.0 |
| 70-79 | 15.6 | 18.3 | 19.8 | 20.8 | 23.1 |
If you would like a printable copy of the Borg scale leave your email and you can download it straight away.
This calculator was developed by me from the protocol described by Hogg, James (2018) The use of the self-paced exercise test in assessing cardiorespiratory fitness in runners. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) thesis, University of Kent,. (KAR id:68563).The Watt based version is my own extrapolation of this thesis and has been tested by myself and my clients and found to be remarkably accurate but is purely anecdotal.
Would love to hear from you so we can keep gathering data and prove my thesis that this is as applicable on Watt based cardio machines of all kinds, as it is to runners, as an alternative to the 20 minute ramp test.
