Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) as an index of aerobic endurance during local and general exercises

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to assess the correlations of RPE with indicators of endurance (critical power), exhaustion time and the electromyographic activity of a relevant muscle during general and local exercises. Eight healthy subjects participated in the study. During the first session, Maximal Aerobic Power (MAP) was measured by means of an incremental cycling exercise on a Monark ergometer. At 1-week intervals the participants performed a general or local exhausting exercise, which consisted of a cycle exercise (60, 73, 86 or 100% MAP) and a knee extension exercise (lifting a load between 17.5 and 32.5 kg every 3 s), respectively. The critical powers corresponding to cycling (CPcycling) and knee extension (CPknee) were calculated from the slope of the linear relationship between exhaustion time (tlim) and work. Rate of perceived exertion, concerning the whole body (overall RPE [RPEov]), RPE concerning the exercising muscles (muscular RPE [RPEmu]) and exhaustion time were measured. During the last session, the integrated electromyogram of the right Vastus Lateralis (iEMG s-1) was measured during short (20 s) cycling and knee extension non-exhausting exercises, with the same electrode location, at the different power outputs used during the exhausting exercises. The relationships between RPEmu at the fifth minute and log tlim and between iEMG% (percentage of the iEMG s-1 corresponding to 100% MAP during cycling) and log tlim were similar for the cycling and knee extension exercises. The mean values of RPEmu at the fifth minute of exercise calculated for CPcycling and CPknee were almost equal (12.3 +/- 1.7 versus 12.2 +/- 0.9). Similarly, the mean values of iEMG% corresponding to CPcycling and CPknee were equal (78.44 versus 79.02%). These results suggest that RPEmu is related to aerobic endurance and that the possibility of sustaining a high percentage of maximal aerobic power during a general exercise is mainly related to local muscular factors.

O limiar de esforço percebido (LEP) corresponde à potência crítica e a um indicador de máximo estado estável de consumo de oxigênio

“…In other work, Garcin et al (7) showed that the perceived exertion reported in the active musculature in the fifth minute of predictive trials of the parameters of the critical power model in cycle ergometer and in knee extension exercises was negatively correlated (r = -0.78 and -0.80) with the logarithm of time until exhaustion. Moreover, it was positively correlated (r = 0.76 and 0.85) with the percentage of PCrit used in the test and with the electromyographic activity at the same collection moment (r = 0.70 and 0.58).…”

“…Therefore, this velocity is considered as an aerobic capacity measurement. Not many investigations searched to combine the critical power model with perceived exertion (6,7) . The perceived exertion seems to result from the integration of a series of afferent information originated from sensorial structures situated at the active skeletal muscles and the cardiorespiratory system (2) .…”

Self-regulation of exercise intensity by estimated time limit scale

“…Conversely, they may undershoot the target power output at the beginning of exercise (Weiser et al 2007). Garcin et al (1998) had noted a large variability in the RPE values at the same percentage of voluntary exhaustion time (Tlim) among subjects performing the same relative constant workload. Consequently, Garcin et al (1999) proposed associating the RPE scale with a second scale based on subjective estimation of Tlim (estimated time limit scale, ETL) to understand further how the subject is feeling.…”

Variability of Objective and Subjective Intensities During Ball Drills in Youth Soccer Players

“…They responded separately about the overall perceived exertion (OPE) and the leg muscular perceived exertion (MPE) (1,13,14,26). All participants were familiar with this procedure; they have used it to rate exercise effort perception during SSG, friendly matches, and maximal aerobic test training drills.…”