Table 3 Summary of included studies reporting coach-intended and/or observed and athlete-reported rating of perceived exertion

Brink et al [9]

12 M (20.3 ± 1.5 yrs)

Professional Club

Soccer

1 coach 13 yrs experience

26 training sessions (2 4-week mesocycles)

6-20 Borg scale

No Feedback

15.0 ± 1.4

15.1 ± 1.5

15.0 ± 1.9

Difference between ROE-RPE feedback (F(1.229) = 9.16, p = 0.003, ES 0.4)

231 exertion scores

Feedback

14.8 ± 1.8

15.2 ± 2.0

14.8 ± 2.4

Kraft et al [10]

56 M & F

Intercollegiate

F soccer, volleyball and basketball

4 coaches

433 training sessions

CR10

sRIE CI vs. RPE

sROE vs. RPE

sRIE vs. sROE

M basketball

sRPE Overall

620 ± 322

575 ± 312

513 ± 300

r = 0.65

r = 0.83

r = 0.93

Volleyball = 74

sRPE Volleyball

555 ± 177

589 ± 186

494 ± 198

r = 0.31

r = 0.32

r = 0.91

Soccer = 123

sRPE Soccer

240 ± 175

04 ± 164

219 ± 175

r = 0.79

r = 0.72

r = 0.89

Womens’ basketball = 124

sRPE Womens Basketball

815 ± 245

763 ± 255

711 ± 282

r = 0.71

r = 0.60

r = 0.83

Mens’ basketball = 112

sRPE Mens basketball

864 ± 130

760 ± 165

628 ± 220

r = 0.42

r = 0.48

r = 0.74

Hard intensity

6.5 ± 1.2

8.2 ± 0.4

r = -0.26

Moderate intensity

6.1 ± 1.2

5.6 ± 0.7

r = 0.28

Easy intensity

3.7 ± 1.9

2.9 ± 1.1

r = 0.58

Barnes et al [11]

13 M (20.2 ± 1.4 yrs)

Highly trained

Cross-country runners

2 coaches

110 training days (3024 sessions)

CR10

Season average

12 F (19.7 ± 1.6 yrs)

sRPE load (F)

Easy intensity

64 ± 12

92 ± 53

Moderate intensity

244 ± 34

259 ± 87

Hard intensity

551 ± 84

507 ± 118

sRPE load (M)

Easy intensity

82 ± 21

157 ± 88

Moderate intensity

351 ± 46

448 ± 149

Hard intensity

646 ± 105

658 ± 157

De Brujin et al [12]

9 (7 M & 2 F) 22 ± 3 yrs

Amateur

Soccer

2 physiotherapists with “multiple years of experience” and involved in athletes’ rehabilitation for 6 months and with “several years” outdoor rehabilitation training experience

3 training sessions

6 to 20 Borg scale

RIE vs. RPE

RIE vs. Distance

Overall

r = 0.35

r = 0.26

Warmup

r = 0

r = 0.30

Core 1

r = 0.61

r = 0.65

Core 2

r = 0.75

r = -0.08

Doeven et al [13]

14 M (26.7 ± 3.8 yrs)

Elite

Basketball

1 coach (<10 yrs)

Competition (8 domestic, 1 cup and 6 euro leagues ) within 6 weeks (2.5 matches per week)

6 to 20 Borg scale

RPE

16.1 ± 1.4

15.6 ± 2.3

sRPE load

418 ± 130

403 ± 135

r = 0.25; p < 0.01

Redvka et al [14]

24 M (24.1 ± 3.4 yrs)

Professional

Soccer

2 coaches

22 training sessions (first 3 weeks of pre-season)

CR10

6.7 ± 1.78

6.8 ± 1.43

r = 0.60; p = 0.003; ES = 0.05

1 technical coach (8 yrs coaching experience)

1465 mins

1 Physical coach (20 yrs experience)

Scantlebury et al [15]

9 F (17.4 ± 0.8 yrs)

Independent school

Hockey

4 coaches (one per sport). All coaches had > 5 yrs and had worked with participants for > 1 yr

Training 28, 125, and 66 easy, moderate, and hard training sessions were analyzed

CR10

RIE vs. RPE

RIE vs. ROE

8 F (17.6 ± 0.6 yrs)

Netball

Overall

3.6 ± 1.2

3.5 ± 1.1

3.5 ± 1.8

r = 0.39

r = 0.63

10 M (17.2 ± 0.4 yrs)

Rugby union

Easy intensity

1.9 ± 0.3

2.3 ± 0.9

3.8 ± 2.2

r = 0.39; 95%CI 0.02-0.67

r = 0.54 95% CI 0.09-0.76

10 M (17.2 ± 0.8 yrs)

Soccer

Moderate intensity

3.2 ± 0.4

3.1 ± 0.4

2.9 ± 1.2

r = 0.27; 95% CI 0.1-0.43

r = 0.20 95%CI 0.02-0.36

Hard intensity

5.2 ± 0.6

4.6 ± 1.1

4.5 ± 2.1

r = 0.46; 95% CI 0.25-0.63

r = 0.79; 95%CI 0.68-0.87

Vaquera et al [16]

12 M (16 ± 0.4 yrs)

Junior National League

Basketball

1 coach with 18 yrs experience training U16 and U18

Training (6 weeks)

CR10

9 training sessions

7 games 1vs1 SSG

No data

6 games 2 vs. 2 SSG

8 games of 5 vs. 5 SSG

5 games of 3 vs. 2 SSG

Brink et al [17]

31 M

Highest level

Soccer

1 U15 coach = 18 yrs experience

977 training sessions (8 weeks)

6 to 20 Borg scale

13.3 ± 2.1

13.3 ± 2.2

13.6 ± 2.2

RIE vs. RPE

ROE vs. RPE

16 (14.3 ± 0.3 yrs)

competition

1 U17 coach = 23 yrs experience

u15 = 445 sessions

(r = 0.58 (p < 0.01))

(r = 0.64 (p < 0.01))

17 (16.3 ± 0.2 yrs)

u17 = 532 session

Rabelo et al [18]

18 M (24.6 ± 3.8 yrs)

Professional

Futsal

1 coach with 3 yrs experience with tool

314 training sessions (45 weeks)

CR10

Low

Pre-season

3.9 ± 1.2

2.9 ± 0.5

Comp 1

3.3 ± 0.5

3.0 ± 0.6

Inter Comp

nr

nr

Comp 2

3.0 ± 1.0

3.7 ± 0.8

Moderate

Pre-season

5.3 ± 0.7

4.7 ± 0.6

Comp 1

4.9 ± 0.5

4.3 ± 0.5

Inter Comp

5.5 ± 0.5

4.8 ± 0.6

Comp 2

6.4 ± 0.5

4.2 ± 0.3

High

Pre-season

7.6 ± 0.5

6.0 ± 0.9

Comp 1

6.4 ± 0.6

5.1 ± 0.4

Inter Comp

7.6 ± 0.5

5.4 ± 0.6

Comp 2

7.5 ± 0.8

6.0 ± 0.4

Andrade Nogueira et al [19]

17 (10 M, 7F) (15.2 ± 0.57 yrs)

State and National

Swimmers

1 coach

18 training sessions

CR10

All sessions

3.4 ± 1.2

3.4 ± 1.9

ICC = 0.80; 95%CI = 0.75 to 0.84; p = 0.001

Transformation phase

3.9 ± 1.4

4.2 ± 2.0

ICC = 0.79; 95%CI = 0.71 to 0.84; p = 0.001

Taper phase

2.9 ± 0.3

2.2 ± 0.8

ICC = 0.19; 95%CI = − .10 to 0.41; p = 0.001

de Andrade et al [20]

15 M (24 ± 2.8 yrs)

National Championship

Volleyball

1 coach

34 training sessions (510 data points)

CR10

Total

k = 0.64

Setter

k = 0.78

Liberos

k = 0.79

Outside hitters

k = 0.75

Middle blockers

k = 0.74

Opposites

k = 0.75

Barroso et al [21]

160

Local, State and National level

Swimmers

9 coaches

CR10

All age groups

r = 0.60; p < 0.001

11-12 yrs n = 46

11–12 yrs

r = 0.31; p < 0.001

13–14 yrs n = 65

13–14 yrs

r = 0.51; p < 0.001

15–16 yrs n = 49

15–16 yrs

r = 0.74; p < 0.001

Murphy et al [22]

14 (8 M & 6 F) (15 ± 1.2 yrs)

Elite

Tennis

6 coaches (10 ± 3 yrs coaching)

21 ± 3 training sessions (16 weeks, 285 drills )

CR10

RIE vs. ROE

Mental exertion (0–10)

predicted sRPE

5.5 ± 1.2

ICC = 0.79

session RPE

5.4 ± 1.1

6.2 ± 1.4

r = 0.59

Drill Physical sRPE

5.1 ± 1.7

5.4 ± 1.7

r = 0.71

Drill Mental sRPE

6.0 ± 1.6

5.8 ± 1.6

r = 0.68

Rodrguez-Marrayo et al [23]

12 F (21 ± 3 yrs)

University

Volleyball

4 coaches

15 weeks of training

CR10

Expert coach

Beginner coach

2 experts (< 10 yrs)

sRPE—mean weekly

231 ± 66

228 ± 64

245 ± 72

2 beginners (≤ 1 yr)

sRPE—total weekly

1617 ± 459

1595 ± 446

1716 ± 506

Monotony

1.2 ± 0.2

1.2 ± 0.2

1.2 ± 0.2

Strain

1920 ± 791

1921 ± 824

2129 ± 944

Players vs. experts

r = 0.70

Players vs. beginners

r = 0.72

Beginners vs. experts

r = 0.80

Brink et al [24]

16 M (U19/17)

Professional

Soccer

2 coaches

2446 training sessions

6 to 20 Borg scale

RPE

13.6 ± 1.59

14.0 ± 1.72

r = 0.24

u17 coach (numerous yrs experience)

sRPE

923 ± 207

944 ± 204

r = 0.41; p < 0.0001

u15 coach (numerous yrs experience)

Viveiros et al [25]

40 M

National Team

Judo

4 separate coaches for the sessions

4 training sessions

CR10

Session 1

4

6.0 ± 0.7

Session 2

3

7.6 ± 0.5

Session 3

5

5.8 ± 1.6

Session 4

3

7.0 ± 0.7

Wallace et al [26]

12 (6 M, 6 F) 22.3 ± 3.1 yrs

Competitive

Swimmers

2 coaches

20 individual training sessions

CR10

Training duration

r = 0.86; p < 0.01

RPE

r = 0.84; p < 0.01

sRPE load

r = 0.85; p < 0.01

Foster et al [27]

6 M

University

Runners

3 coaches but only each athlete had own coach

5 weeks training sessions

CR10

Training duration

r = 0.65

9 F

RPE

r = 0.75

sRPE

r = 0.74

Easy (RPE)

1.8 ± 0.5

2.4 ± 1.4

sRPE

91 ± 13

128 ± 72

Intermediate (RPE)

3.4 ± 0.7

3.4 ± 1.7

srPE

196 ± 66

210 ± 149

Hard (RPE)

7.1 ± 1.2

6.2 ± 2.5

sRPE

486 ± 194

422 ± 256