Prediction of peak oxygen uptake from differentiated ratings of perceived exertion during wheelchair propulsion in trained wheelchair sportspersons

Abstract

Purpose

To assess the validity of predicting peak oxygen uptake (${\dot{\text{V}}}{\text{O}}_{{\text{2peak}}}$) from differentiated ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) obtained during submaximal wheelchair propulsion.

Methods

Three subgroups of elite male wheelchair athletes [nine tetraplegics (TETRA), nine paraplegics (PARA), eight athletes without spinal cord injury (NON-SCI)] performed an incremental speed exercise test followed by graded exercise to exhaustion (${\dot{\text{V}}}{\text{O}}_{{\text{2peak}}}$ test). Oxygen uptake (${\dot{\text{V}}}{\text{O}}_2$), heart rate (HR) and differentiated RPE (Central RPE_C, Peripheral RPE_P and Overall RPE_O) were obtained for each stage. The regression lines for the perceptual ranges 9–15 on the Borg 6–20 scale ratings were performed to predict ${\dot{\text{V}}}{\text{O}}_{{\text{2peak}}}$.

Results

There were no significant within-group mean differences between measured ${\dot{\text{V}}}{\text{O}}_{{\text{2peak}}}$ (mean 1.50 ± 0.39, 2.74 ± 0.48, 3.75 ± 0.33 L min⁻¹ for TETRA, PARA and NON-SCI, respectively) and predicted ${\dot{\text{V}}}{\text{O}}_{{\text{2peak}}}$ determined using HR or differentiated RPEs for any group (P > 0.05). However, the coefficients of variation (CV %) between measured and predicted ${\dot{\text{V}}}{\text{O}}_{{\text{2peak}}}$ using HR showed high variability for all groups (14.3, 15.9 and 9.7 %, respectively). The typical error ranged from 0.14 to 0.68 L min⁻¹ and the CV % between measured and predicted ${\dot{\text{V}}}{\text{O}}_{{\text{2peak}}}$ using differentiated RPE was ≤11.1 % for TETRA, ≤7.5 % for PARA and ≤20.2 % for NON-SCI.

Conclusions

Results suggest that differentiated RPE may be used cautiously for TETRA and PARA athletes when predicting ${\dot{\text{V}}}{\text{O}}_{{\text{2peak}}}$ across the perceptual range of 9–15. However, predicting ${\dot{\text{V}}}{\text{O}}_{{\text{2peak}}}$ is not recommended for the NON-SCI athletes due to the large CV %s (16.8, 20.2 and 18.0 %; RPE_C, RPE_P and RPE_O, respectively).