A patient hikes a steep grade carrying a 20-lb pack (8.0-9.0 METs). Which RPE would MOST likely correspond?

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Multiple Choice

A patient hikes a steep grade carrying a 20-lb pack (8.0-9.0 METs). Which RPE would MOST likely correspond?

Explanation:
RPE tests how hard the exercise feels to you, and it tends to rise with increasing metabolic demand. Hiking a steep grade with a 20-lb pack requires about 8 to 9 METs, which is in the vigorous range of effort. On the 6–20 Borg scale, that level of intensity typically corresponds to an RPE of about 14 to 17, described as hard to very hard work. So the most likely perceived exertion is in the 14–17 range. A lighter effort (9–11) would be felt as easy, 12–13 as somewhat hard, and 18 or higher would indicate near-maximal effort, which doesn’t align with sustaining a steep hike with a pack for meaningful duration.

RPE tests how hard the exercise feels to you, and it tends to rise with increasing metabolic demand. Hiking a steep grade with a 20-lb pack requires about 8 to 9 METs, which is in the vigorous range of effort. On the 6–20 Borg scale, that level of intensity typically corresponds to an RPE of about 14 to 17, described as hard to very hard work. So the most likely perceived exertion is in the 14–17 range. A lighter effort (9–11) would be felt as easy, 12–13 as somewhat hard, and 18 or higher would indicate near-maximal effort, which doesn’t align with sustaining a steep hike with a pack for meaningful duration.

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