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Overall and peripheral ratings of perceived exertion during a graded exercise test to volitional exhaustion in individuals of high and low fitness

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Abstract

This study assessed the relationship between differentiated ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and heart rate with oxygen uptake \(({\dot{\hbox{V}}}\hbox{O}_{2})\) during two graded exercise tests (GXT) to exhaustion on a cycle ergometer in 49 men and women (19–50 years) of high and low fitness. The study also assessed whether sub-maximal RPE values elicited during the GXTs could provide appropriate estimates of maximal aerobic power \(({\dot{\hbox{V}}}\hbox{O}_{2{\rm max}}).\) Peripheral RPE (RPEP) was higher than overall RPE (RPEO) at exhaustion in both groups (P < 0.001), but the reliability of the terminal RPEO was higher (0.75 and 0.40, respectively). Fitness did not moderate the relationship of RPEO and RPEP with \({\dot{\hbox{V}}}\hbox{O}_{2}\) during the GXTs (> 0.05). However, the correlation for RPEP and \({\dot{\hbox{V}}}\hbox{O}_{2}\) was higher for women compared to men (0.98 and 0.96, respectively, P < 0.05), although this is of little practical significance. In both groups, RPEO was almost as highly correlated with \({\dot{\hbox{V}}}\hbox{O}_{2}\) as heart rate during GXTs terminated at exhaustion (∼0.955–0.980). There were no differences between predicted and measured \({\dot{\hbox{V}}}\hbox{O}_{2{\rm max}}\) when \({\dot{\hbox{V}}}\hbox{O}_{2}\) values were extrapolated from sub-maximal RPEO (13, 15 and 17) intensities (42.1 ± 12.5, 43.4 ± 11.5, 44.2 ± 11.3 and 43.3 ± 10.0 ml kg−1 min−1, respectively). However, \({\dot{\hbox{V}}}\hbox{O}_{2{\rm max}}\) predicted from sub-maximal RPEP intensities was significantly lower (P < 0.05). In conclusion, terminal RPEO was a more reliable measure of the RPE, and provided more accurate estimates of \({\dot{\hbox{V}}}\hbox{O}_{2{\rm max}}\) in healthy participants of high and low fitness when elicited from sub-maximal exercise intensities.

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Correspondence to Roger Eston.

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Faulkner, J., Eston, R. Overall and peripheral ratings of perceived exertion during a graded exercise test to volitional exhaustion in individuals of high and low fitness. Eur J Appl Physiol 101, 613–620 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-007-0536-2

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