Abstract
Purpose
Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) is a reliable method of assessing exercise intensity during isolated arm and leg cycling. The aim of this study was to assess the validity and reproducibility of perceptually regulated exercise responses during combined arm + leg cycling.
Methods
Twelve males (age; 24.6 ± 5.3 years, height; 1.81 ± 0.7 m, mass; 83.1 ± 8.4 kg) initially undertook incremental exercise tests to volitional exhaustion for arm cycling (133 ± 14 W) and leg cycling (253 ± 32 W). On three subsequent occasions, participants undertook combined arm + leg cycling trials using two modified Monark ergometers involving three bouts of exercise at RPE 9, 13 and 17, in that order. Heart rate (HR), oxygen uptake (\(\dot{V}{\text{O}}_{{2}}\)) and pulmonary ventilation (\(\dot{V}_{{\text{E}}}\)) were recorded continuously.
Results
No significant differences were observed for HR (P = 0.086), \(\dot{V}{\text{O}}_{{2}}\) (P = 0.525) and \(\dot{V}_{{\text{E}}}\) (P = 0.899) between trials, whilst significant differences were observed between each level of RPE (all P < 0.001). For % peak \(\dot{V}{\text{O}}_{{2}}\), the ICC increased with successive trials for all RPE levels. For % maximal HR the ICC generally decreased with successive trials.
Conclusion
RPE can be used as a reliable frame of reference for the production of exercise intensity during combined arm + leg cycling without any formal familiarisation. Since combined arm + leg cycling elicits a greater energy expenditure than arm or leg work alone, this novel mode of non-weight bearing exercise might prove effective for aerobic conditioning and weight control.
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Change history
06 October 2020
The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake.
Abbreviations
- ANOVA:
-
Analysis of variance
- CV:
-
Coefficient of variation
- HR:
-
Heart rate
- HRmax :
-
Maximal heart rate
- ICC:
-
Intraclass correlation coefficient
- LoA:
-
Limits of agreement
- PO:
-
Power output
- PPO:
-
Peak minute power
- RER:
-
Respiratory exchange ratio
- RPE:
-
Rating of perceived exertion
- RPEA :
-
Ratings of perceived exertion (arms)
- RPEL :
-
Ratings of perceived exertion (legs)
- RPEC :
-
Ratings of perceived exertion (central)
- RPEP :
-
Ratings of perceived exertion (peripheral)
- V̇ E :
-
Pulmonary ventilation
- V̇ Epeak :
-
Peak pulmonary ventilation
- V̇O2 :
-
Oxygen uptake
- V̇O2peak :
-
Peak oxygen uptake
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MH conceived and designed research. MH, MP2 and CT conducted experiments. MH performed the analyses and wrote the manuscript. MH, CT, MP2 and MP1 revised the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Hill, M., Puddiford, M., Talbot, C. et al. The validity and reproducibility of perceptually regulated exercise responses during combined arm + leg cycling. Eur J Appl Physiol 120, 2203–2212 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-020-04444-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-020-04444-z