Validation of the Italian version of the OMNI Scale of Perceived Exertion in a sample of Italian-speaking adults

The purpose was to examine whether the translation of verbal descriptors from English to Italian affects the validity of the OMNI Scale of Perceived Exertion. 82 people for whom Italian was the primary language performed an orientation trial and a maximal graded exercise test on a cycle ergometer. Ratings of perceived exertion for the overall body and physiological responses were measured during each exercise stage. Significant correlations were found between perceptual responses of the Italian version of the OMNI Cycle Scale of Perceived Exertion and oxygen uptake, pulmonary ventilation, heart rate, respiratory rate, and respiratory exchange ratio responses to a maximal graded exercise test on a cycle ergometer. These findings indicate that the Italian version of the OMNI Scale of Perceived Exertion gives a valid estimate of effort during cycle ergometer exercise.