Abstract
Purpose
This study examined: (1) the sustainability of the critical heart rate (CHR) minus 5 b min−1 (CHR − 5) and CHR plus 5 b min−1 (CHR + 5); (2) the ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), velocity, \( \dot{V}O_{2} \), minute ventilation (\( \dot{V}_{E} \)), breathing frequency (f b ), and electromyographic amplitude (EMG AMP) and EMG mean power frequency (MPF) responses during treadmill running at CHR − 5 and CHR + 5 to determine what factors underlie the perception of effort when heart rate (HR) is held constant; and (3) the relationships among RPE, \( \dot{V}O_{2} \), and HR, to determine which variable(s) reflect exhaustion during exercise performed at a constant HR.
Methods
The CHR was determined in eight runners (mean ± SD; age = 24 ± 3 years) from a series of four exhaustive, constant velocity runs. The RPE, velocity, \( \dot{V}O_{2} \), \( \dot{V}_{E} \), f b , EMG AMP, and EMG MPF responses were recorded during runs at the CHR − 5 and CHR + 5.
Results
At CHR − 5, RPE, f b, and EMG MPF increased, while velocity, \( \dot{V}O_{2} \), \( \dot{V}_{E} \), and EMG AMP decreased. At CHR + 5, RPE and f b increased, velocity, \( \dot{V}O_{2} \), \( \dot{V}_{E} \), and EMG AMP decreased, and EMG MPF remained constant.
Conclusions
The close association between f b and RPE throughout the run at CHR − 5 and during the last 50 % of the run at CHR + 5 indicated that muscle afferents may have provided feedback from metabolic and mechanical stimuli that contributed to the perceptual responses. In addition, only RPE consistently indicated exhaustion and the current findings supported its use to monitor exercise performed at a constant HR.
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Abbreviations
- AMPpeak :
-
Electromyographic amplitude at \( \dot{V}O_{2} \) peak
- ANOVA:
-
Analysis of variance
- CHR:
-
Critical heart rate
- CHR − 5:
-
CHR minus 5 b min−1
- CHR + 5:
-
CHR plus 5 b min−1
- CP:
-
Critical power
- CV:
-
Critical velocity
- EMG AMP:
-
Electromyographic amplitude
- EMG MPF:
-
Electromyographic mean power frequency
- f b :
-
Breathing frequency
- f b peak :
-
Breathing frequency at \( \dot{V}O_{2} \) peak
- GET:
-
Gas exchange threshold
- HBlim :
-
Total number of heartbeats
- HR:
-
Heart rate
- HRpeak :
-
Heart rate at \( \dot{V}O_{2} \) peak
- MPF:
-
Electromyographic mean power frequency at \( \dot{V}O_{2} \) peak
- RCP:
-
Respiratory compensation point
- RPE:
-
Ratings of perceived exertion
- RPEpeak :
-
RPE at \( \dot{V}O_{2} \) peak
- T lim :
-
Time to exhaustion or time limit
- \( \dot{V}_{E} \) :
-
Minute ventilation
- \( \dot{V}_{E} \) peak :
-
Minute ventilation at \( \dot{V}O_{2} \) peak
- \( \dot{V}O_{2} \) :
-
Oxygen uptake
- \( \dot{V}O_{2} \) peak :
-
The highest \( \dot{V}O_{2} \) value recorded during the incremental test
- v \( \dot{V}O_{2} \) peak :
-
Velocity associated with \( \dot{V}O_{2} \) peak
- W lim :
-
Total amount of work accomplished or work limit
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Acknowledgments
This study was funded by the 2013 National Strength and Conditioning Association Doctoral Research Grant.
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Communicated by Toshio Moritani.
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Bergstrom, H.C., Housh, T.J., Cochrane, K.C. et al. Factors underlying the perception of effort during constant heart rate running above and below the critical heart rate. Eur J Appl Physiol 115, 2231–2241 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3204-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3204-y