Eizadi M, Dooaly H, Seyedhoseini MA, Khorshidi D
Exercise intensity is the most important constituent of effective sports - rehabilitative exercises in improving cardiorespiratory fitness in healthy individuals or patients suffering some form of deteriorated cardiovascular fitness motor disabilities [1]. Every optimal training program intended to improve cardiovascular fitness depends on such factors as intensity, volume, frequency, duration and manner of exercise training and the prescription of an appropriate training program requires to determine the accurate level of intensity based on each of the indices of exercise intensity (% HRmax, % VO 2Max, % VO 2Reserve, % HRR, Borg scale) with due consideration of the factors affecting them. Research findings suggest that each of these indices, depending on certain effective factors, represent different ranges of exercise pressure during a specific exercise [2, 3]. For example, to prescribe exercise intensity in healthy subjects, American college of Sports Medicine (ACSM) reports 70-85 (%) of maximum heart rate (% 70-85HR max) as being equivalent to 60-80% of maximum oxygen uptake (% 60-80VO2 max), but the findings of David and Swain were inconsistent with ACSM guidelines [4]. The percentage of maximum heart rate (% HRmax) method is widely prevalent in prescribing exercise intensity for the healthy population [5]. Maximum oxygen uptake percentage (% VO2Max) is yet another method of prescribing exercise intensity [6]. However, there is always the question whether prescribing or designing a training program based on