# THE BORG SCALE IS SAFE AND EFFICACIOUS FOR PRESCRIBING AND MONITORING SELF-ADMINISTERED BALANCE AND RESISTANCE EXERCISE IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE: A POST-HOC ANALYSIS OF RENEXC, A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL

## TL;DR

Using the Borg scale, patients with chronic kidney disease safely improved balance and strength through self-administered exercise at home or in a gym.

## Contribution

Demonstrates the Borg scale's safety and efficacy for prescribing and monitoring exercise in chronic kidney disease patients.

## Key findings

- No injuries occurred, and patients adhered to prescribed exercise intensity.
- Physical performance improved by 2–18% despite wide variation in weekly exercise duration.
- Improvements were observed regardless of baseline measurements.

## Abstract

To evaluate the safety, adherence, and efficacy of self-administered balance and resistance exercise using the Borg scale in patients with chronic kidney disease, and to examine relationships between exercise intensity or duration and baseline measures, and relationships between change in physical performance and baseline measures, intensity, or duration.

Post-hoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial.

151 patients, mean age 66 (14) years, measured glomerular filtration rate 22 (8) mL/min/1.73 m2.

12 months balance or resistance exercise, Borg 13–17, combined with aerobic exercise. Berg Balance scale, Functional Reach, isometric quadriceps strength and 30 s sit-to-stand were assessed at baseline and after 12 months. Intensity and duration were recorded in an exercise diary.

No injuries occurred. Patients reported high adherence, median intensity 14 (13–15). Both groups maintained/improved physical performance by 2–18%, within a wide duration, mean 56 (range 3–194) min/week. No significant relationships were found between intensity or duration and baseline measures, or between improved physical performance and baseline measures, intensity, or duration.

Twelve months’ self-administered balance and resistance exercise were safe and adhered to, using the Borg scale, in patients with chronic kidney disease. Physical performance improved, showing that even short weekly durations can be efficacious when prescribed intensity is maintained.

Exercise is important to prevent loss of balance and strength in patients with chronic kidney disease. In this study patients exercised independently at home or at a gym and were prescribed either balance or strength exercises by a physiotherapist. Exercise intensity was prescribed and monitored using the Borg scale of rating of perceived exertion. We found that exercise was safe to perform, resulted in high participation, and patients followed the prescribed exercise intensity, although there was a wide range of reported weekly exercise duration. Both groups improved balance and strength regardless of baseline measurements, showing that the Borg scale was safe and efficacious both for balance and resistance exercise in patients with chronic kidney disease, and that even short exercise durations resulted in improved physical performance when the prescribed exercise intensity was maintained.