Ratings of perceived exertion and muscle activity during the bench press exercise in recreational and novice lifters

This study examined ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and electromyography (EMG) during resistance exercise in recreational and novice lifters. Fourteen novice (age = 21.5 +/- 1.5 years) and 14 recreationally trained (age = 21.9 +/- 2.2 years) women volunteered to perform the bench press exercise at 60 and 80% of their 1 repetition maximum (1RM). RPE and EMG were measured during both intensities. Statistical analyses revealed that active muscle RPE increased as resistance exercise intensity increased from 60% 1RM to 80% 1RM (12.32 +/- 1.81 vs. 15.14 +/- 1.74). Integrated EMG also increased as resistance exercise intensity increased from 60% 1RM to 80% 1RM (in the pectoralis major; 98.62 +/- 17.54 vs. 127.98 +/- 29.02). No significant differences in RPE or EMG were found between novice and recreational lifters. These results indicate that RPE is related to the relative exercise intensity lifted as well as muscle activity during resistance exercise for both recreational and novice lifters. These results support the use of RPE as a method of resistance exercise intensity estimation for both types of lifters.     

Concurrent validity of an OMNI rating of perceived exertion scale for bench stepping exercise

To develop and validate a modified OMNI rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale for use during bench stepping exercise (OMNI-BS). Thirty women (age: 19.8 ± 1.8 years) undertook 2 experimental trials, separated by 7 days. Concurrent validity was established by examining the relation between physiological criterion variables, oxygen consumption (VO2), and heart rate (HR), with the concurrent variable, RPE from OMNI-BS, during 2 trials in which the intensity increased linearly (test 1) and intermittently (test 2). The first test consisted of 3-minute stages. Subjects stepped up and down on the bench at 120 b·min(-1). The test was terminated owing to subject fatigue. Exercise intensity increased as bench height increased every 3 minutes. The second test consisted of three 3-minute exercise bouts that reproduced exercise stage 1 (low intensity), stage 3 (moderate intensity), and stage 5 (high intensity) performed in the first test. The order of these 3 exercise bouts was counterbalanced. Intraclass correlation analysis from experimental trials indicated a strong positive association between RPE and VO2 (r = 0.96 and r = 0.95) and HR (r = 0.95 and r = 0.95). Concurrent validity for the OMNI-BS RPE scale was established for women performing bench stepping exercise.     

Preferred method of selecting exercise intensity in adult women

Heart rate (HR) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) are both recommended methods of determining exercise intensity for healthy adults. The purpose of this study was to determine how adult women self-select their exercise intensity during aerobic exercise. We interviewed 100 women exercisers who had been engaged regularly in an exercise program for at least 3 months to determine their method of gauging aerobic exercise intensity. Subjects exercised for about 45.1 +/- 21.4 minutes per session (4.4 +/- 1.4 times per week). The vast majority (84%) exclusively used self-selected effort perception to monitor their exercise intensity. Only 16% were familiar with an RPE chart. Although HR is touted heavily in fitness centers and on aerobic ergometers, self-selected effort perception (and not HR) is the method of choice by women who are experienced at aerobic exercise. It is recommended that fitness center personnel increase their efforts to educate the public regarding the appropriate use of effort perception as a method of gauging exercise intensity.     

Use of perceived effort ratings to control exercise intensity in young healthy adults

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) as a means of regulating the intensity of exercise during running. The subjects were healthy, relatively fit young adults (16 men and 12 women). Estimates of effort were recorded using the Borg 6-20 Scale whilst the maximal oxygen uptake of the subjects was measured as they ran on an electrically driven treadmill. In a further session, the same subjects were requested to run on the treadmill at constant exercise intensity based on their interpretation of levels 9, 13 and 17 of the Borg Scale. They regulated their running speed and the treadmill gradient but had no knowledge of performance from the equipment display panel. A linear regression analysis was carried out to examine the relationship between heart rate, perceived exertion and relative metabolic demand. This revealed that the rating of perceived exertion was at least as good a predictor of exercise intensity as heart rate in both the graded exercise test and effort production test. The results support the view that RPE may be used to predict relative metabolic demand, especially at higher workloads and could be a useful medium for controlling intensity of effort during vigorous exercise in such subjects.     

Construct validity of the OMNI resistance exercise scale

This study examined the construct validity of the Adult OMNI Perceived Exertion Scale for Resistance Exercise (OMNI-RES). Forty (20 men and 20 women) subjects performed 1 repetition of the knee extension exercise at 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90% of the 1 repetition maximum. Active muscle and overall body ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were collected from the Borg 15-category RPE scale and the OMNI-RES immediately following each repetition. Construct validity was established by correlating RPE from the OMNI-RES with RPE from the Borg RPE scale using regression analysis. The results indicated a positive and linear relationship between RPE from the OMNI-RES and RPE from the Borg scale for both men and women. Validity coefficients ranged from r = 0.94 to 0.97. The high level of construct validity indicates that the OMNI-RES measures the same properties of exertion as the Borg RPE scale during resistance exercise and suggests that the 2 scales can be used interchangeably during resistance exercise.     

Exercise training biomarkers: influence of short-term diet modification on the blood lactate to rating of perceived exertion (La:RPE) ratio

This study examined the effect of dietary consumption of carbohydrates (CHO) on the blood lactate to rating of perceived exertion (La:RPE) ratio during an intense micro-cycle of exercise training. This ratio is a proposed biomarker of exercise training stress and potential indicator for under- or overtraining in athletes. Sixteen male athletes were randomly assigned into two groups; high CHO (H-CHO; 60% of daily caloric intake) and low CHO (L-CHO; 30% of daily caloric intake). Diets were controlled the day before and for the three days of the micro-cycle. The micro-cycle consisted of three successive days of 60 minutes of intense cycling (～70% of VO2peak). Blood samples were obtained immediately before and after exercise (post) on each day of exercise training (D1, D2, D3) and were analyzed for blood lactate. Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scores were taken at the end of each exercise session and combined with the post exercise lactate value to form the La:RPE ratio. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a significant difference between the La:RPE ratio for the H-CHO and L-CHO groups at D3 even though the exercise intensity was not significantly different between the groups. Specifically, the ratio was significantly (p < 0.02) lower on D3 in the L-CHO group (～31% lower) than in the H-CHO group. From these findings it is recommended that diet needs to be monitored when using the La:RPE ratio as an exercise training biomarker to determine whether an athlete is truly under-training or overtraining. Athletes or coaches that use the La:RPE ratio as a training biomarker, but do not monitor dietary CHO intake need to interpreted their findings carefully.     

The relationship of plasma ammonia and lactate concentrations to perceived exertion in trained and untrained women

The purpose of this study was to investigate the covariance between perceived exertion (recorded using Borg's category-ratio scale CR-10) and the relative oxygen uptake, and lactate and ammonia concentrations in blood from a peripheral vein. Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) at 25%, 50%, 75% and 90% maximal oxygen uptake and lactate and ammonia concentrations were compared in well-trained women distance runners (n = 22) and untrained women (n = 10). Ammonia concentrations in peripheral venous blood were significantly correlated with RPE (P less than 0.05), both in the trained and untrained women. Differences between the trained and untrained subjects occurred when the ammonia concentration increased to 148 mumol.l-1 in both groups investigated; similarly, the mean RPE correlated significantly with the lactate concentration (P less than 0.05), both in the trained and untrained women and there was a difference in RPE between groups when lactate concentration in the blood had risen to 4.4 mmol.l-1. It would seem that the correlation of blood ammonia and lactate concentrations with RPE during exercise could be a useful indicator of the development of fatigue.     

Ratings of perceived exertion in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease--a possible indicator for exercise training in patients with this disease

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) as an indicator of exercise intensity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The subjects were ten male patients with COPD, whose mean forced expiratory volume in 1 s was 1.09 1, SD 0.41, and ten healthy middle-aged men. Ramp incremental exercise on a cycle-ergometer was performed and RPE was determined by the Borg 15-point scale. The absolute oxygen uptake at each RPE was significantly greater in the healthy subjects than in the patients with COPD. However, oxygen uptake calculated as a percentage of maximal at any RPE did not differ significantly between the two groups. Arterial blood lactate concentration at points 15 to 19 on the RPE scale was increased in healthy subjects (P less than 0.05-P less than 0.001), while the dyspnoea index at points 11 to 19 on the RPE scale was higher in patients with COPD (P less than 0.05-P less than 0.001). The main complaints on stopping exercise were dyspnoea in the patients with COPD and fatigue in the healthy subjects. Although the nature of RPE may have been different in the two groups, RPE could be a possible indicator of exercise intensity when physicians prescribe exercise to patients with COPD.     

A Cycling Movement Based System for Real-Time Muscle Fatigue and Cardiac Stress Monitoring and Analysis

In this study, we defined a new parameter, referred to as the cardiac stress index (CSI), using a nonlinear detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) of heart rate (HR). Our study aimed to incorporate the CSI into a cycling based fatigue monitoring system developed in our previous work so the muscle fatigue and cardiac stress can be both continuously and quantitatively assessed for subjects undergoing the cycling exercise. By collecting electrocardiogram (ECG) signals, the DFA scaling exponent α was evaluated on the RR time series extracted from a windowed ECG segment. We then obtained the running estimate of α by shifting a one-minute window by a step of 20 seconds so the CSI, defined as the percentage of all the less-than-one α values, can be synchronously updated every 20 seconds. Since the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale is considered as a convenient index which is commonly used to monitor subjective perceived exercise intensity, we then related the Borg RPE scale value to the CSI in order to investigate and quantitatively characterize the relationship between exercise-induced fatigue and cardiac stress. Twenty-two young healthy participants were recruited in our study. Each participant was asked to maintain a fixed pedaling speed at a constant load during the cycling exercise. Experimental results showed that a decrease in DFA scaling exponent α or an increase in CSI was observed during the exercise. In addition, the Borg RPE scale and CSI were positively correlated, suggesting that the factors due to cardiac stress might also contribute to fatigue state during physical exercise. Since the CSI can effectively quantify the cardiac stress status during physical exercise, our system may be used in sports medicine, or used by cardiologists who carried out stress tests for monitoring heart condition in patients with heart diseases.     

A comparison of response and production protocols for assessing perceived exertion

Two cycle ergometer protocols for assessing perceived exertion were compared before and after a fatiguing run. In the response (R) protocol, the subject rated the perceived exertion (RPE) of a series of power outputs assigned by the investigator. In the production (P) protocol, the investigator selected the RPE values and the subject adjusted his power output using a hand-held control. The relationship between RPE and power output (the regression coefficient and the slope and intercept of the regression line) was the same for both protocols. Fatigue due to the run caused a small increase in RPE (average 1.5 units) at a given exercise intensity and a commensurate decrease in power output (average 19 W) for a given RPE. The P protocol is safer than the R protocol because it makes no assumptions with regard to the physical condition of the subject. It is superior to the R protocol because it is an interval scale. These advantages suggest that the P protocol should be used instead of, or at least in addition to, the more traditional R protocol.     

Training state improves the relationship between rating of perceived exertion and relative exercise volume during resistance exercises

ABSTRACT: Testa, M, Noakes, TD, and Desgorces, F-D. Training state improves the relationship between rating of perceived exertion and relative exercise volume during resistance exercises. J Strength Cond Res 26(11): 2990-2996, 2012-The aim of this study was to investigate how the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) during resistance exercises was influenced by the exercise volume and athletes' training state. Eighty physical education students (well trained, less well trained, and novices) rated their perceived exertion of multilift sets using the category-ratio scale. These sets were performed with moderate (60-80% of 1-repetition maximum [1RM]) and heavy loads (80-100% of 1RM) involving low volume of exercise (5.5 ± 1.1 reps for moderate and 1.3 ± 0.4 reps for the heavy load) and high volume of exercise (moderate load: 17.5 ± 2.1 reps; high load: 2.9 ± 0.6 reps). The exercise volume of the sets was expressed relatively to individual maximal capacities using the maximum number of repetition (MNR) for the load lifted. General linear model describes that RPE was related to MNR % with a training state effect (p < 0.01) observed only for sets involving a low MNR % and without effect of absolute volume and exercise intensity (high MNR sets: adjusted R = 0.65 and 0.78 and low MNR sets adjusted R = 0.37 and 0.34 in low MNR tests). High standard errors of estimated relative volume appeared when using the RPE from low exercise volume sets (12.8 and 14.4% of actual relative volume). Coaches should consider the RPE resulting from high exercise-induced physical strain to estimate the actual relative volume and to estimate the individual MNR at a given load.     

Perceived exertion related to heart rate and blood lactate during arm and leg exercise

To compare some psychophysiological responses to arm exercise with those to leg exercise, an experiment was carried out on electronically braked bicycle ergometers, one being adapted for arm exercise. Eight healthy males took part in the experiment with stepwise increases in exercise intensity every 4 min: 40-70-100-150-200 W in cycling and 20-35-50-70-100 W in arm cranking. Towards the end of each 4 min period, ratings of perceived exertion were obtained on the RPE scale and on a new category ratio (CR) scale:heart rate (HR) and blood lactate accumulation (BL) were also measured. The responses obtained were about twice as high or more for arm cranking than for cycling. The biggest difference was found for BL and the smallest for HR and RPE. The incremental functions were similar in both activities, with approximately linear increases in HR and RPE and positively accelerating functions for CR (exponents about 1.9) and BL (exponents 2.5 and 3.3 respectively). When perceived exertion (according to the CR scale) was set as the dependent variable and a simple combination of HR and BL was used as the independent variable, a linear relationship was obtained for both kinds of exercise, as has previously been found in cycling, running, and walking. The results thus give support for the following generalization: For exercise of a steady state type with increasing loads the incremental curve for perceived exertion can be predicted from a simple combination of HR and BL.     

The reliability and validity of regulating exercise intensity by ratings of perceived exertion in step dance sessions

The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of regulating exercise intensity by ratings of perceived exertion in step dance sessions. Ten male college-aged students voluntarily participated in 2 step dance sessions for 45 minutes at 70-80% of their heart rate (HR) reserves with a 1-week interval between sessions. The step dance sessions included the same choreography with 10 minutes of warm-up, 25 minutes of the main part, 5 minutes of calisthenics for legs and abdomen, and 5 minutes of cool-down. In each session, subjects' ratings of perceived exertion (RPEs) were determined by Borg's 6-20 scale together with HR and lactic acid (LA) levels with 10-minute intervals. Values for RPE, HR, and LA increased nonlinearly in both sessions, and their trends were explained by polynomial equations to the second degree. The RPE values increased throughout each session, whereas HR and LA showed a decrease in the last time interval, which indicated that RPE did not maintain exercise intensity at proper range. Reliability coefficients for RPE scores in the first and last session ranged from 0.602 to 0.684. These findings suggest that RPE was a reliable but not a valid method for regulating exercise intensity in step dance sessions.     

Monitoring exercise intensity during resistance training using the session RPE scale

This study investigated the reliability of the session rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale to quantify exercise intensity during high-intensity (H), moderate-intensity (M), and low-intensity (L) resistance training. Nine men (24.7 +/- 3.8 years) and 10 women (22.1 +/- 2.6 years) performed each intensity twice. Each protocol consisted of 5 exercises: back squat, bench press, overhead press, biceps curl, and triceps pushdown. The H consisted of 1 set of 4-5 repetitions at 90% of the subject's 1 repetition maximum (1RM). The M consisted of 1 set of 10 repetitions at 70% 1RM, and the L consisted of 1 set of 15 repetitions at 50% 1RM. RPE was measured following the completion of each set and 30 minutes postexercise (session RPE). Session RPE was higher for the H than M and L exercise bouts (p < or = 0.05). Performing fewer repetitions at a higher intensity was perceived to be more difficult than performing more repetitions at a lower intensity. The intraclass correlation coefficient for the session RPE was 0.88. The session RPE is a reliable method to quantify various intensities of resistance training.     

Perceptual and physiological responses to cycling and running in groups of trained and untrained subjects

An interesting aspect, when comparing athletes, is the effect of specialized training upon both physiological performance and perceptual responses. To study this, four groups (with six individuals each) served as subjects. Two of these consisted of highly specialized individuals (racing cyclists and marathon runners) and the other two of non-specialized individuals (sedentary and all-round trained). Cycling on a cycle ergometer and running on a treadmill were chosen as modes of exercise. Variables measured included heart rate, blood lactate and perceived exertion, rated on two different scales. Results show a linear increase of both heart rate and perceived exertion (rated on the RPE scale) in all four groups, although at different absolute levels. Blood lactate accumulation, during cycling and running, differentiates very clearly between the groups. When heart rate and perceived exertion were plotted against each other, the difference at the same subjective rating (RPE 15) between cycling and running amounted to about 15-20 beats.min-1 in the non-specialized groups. The cyclists exhibited almost no difference at all as compared to 40 beats.min-1 for the runners. It can be concluded that specialized training changes both the physiological as well as the psychological response to exercise.     

Regulating explosive resistance training intensity using the rating of perceived exertion

Explosive resistance training (ERT) improves older adults' strength and power, and methods to make this form of training more accessible and useful to older adults are needed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale would predict a broad range of ERT intensities on the leg press with older adults. If successful, then a load-RPE relationship could be used to regulate the intensity of training loads for ERT with older adults, allowing the elimination of maximal strength testing. Twenty-one older adults (≥65 years) with resistance training experience took part in 2 testing sessions. Session 1: Subjects performed high-velocity repetitions on the leg press for up to 9 loads (from 60 to 140% body weight) presented in quasi-randomized order, and then reported their RPE for each load. Session 2: A 1 repetition maximum (1RM) strength test was conducted. Regression analysis revealed that the average RPE across subjects for each load strongly predicted the average %1RM across subjects (R2 = 99.5%; p < 0.001). This allows the establishment of a load-RPE relationship for use in selecting ERT loads for older adults on the leg press. For example, high-intensity loads (70-90% 1RM) that would elicit both strength and power gains when used with ERT aligned with an RPE of 14-16. Lighter loads that may be useful for training for power, but not strength (<70% 1RM), were identified with RPE scores of 13 and lower. The load-RPE relationship may simplify the regulation of intensity of ERT with older adults on the leg press, where the exercising older adult could be guided to select loads according to their RPE.     

Quantifying session ratings of perceived exertion for field-based speed training methods in team sport athletes

ABSTRACT: Lockie, RG, Murphy, AJ, Scott, BR, and Janse de Jonge, XAK. Quantifying session ratings of perceived exertion for field-based speed training methods in team sport athletes. J Strength Cond Res 26(10): 2721-2728, 2012-Session ratings of perceived exertion (session RPE) are commonly used to assess global training intensity for team sports. However, there is little research quantifying the intensity of field-based training protocols for speed development. The study's aim was to determine the session RPE of popular training protocols (free sprint [FST], resisted sprint [RST], and plyometrics [PT]) designed to improve sprint acceleration over 10 m in team sport athletes. Twenty-seven men (age = 23.3 ± 4.7 years; mass = 84.5 ± 8.9 kg; height = 1.83 ± 0.07 m) were divided into 3 groups according to 10-m velocity. Training consisted of an incremental program featuring two 1-hour sessions per week for 6 weeks. Subjects recorded session RPE 30 minutes post training using the Borg category-ratio 10 scale. Repeated measures analysis of variance found significant (p < 0.05) changes in sprint velocity and session RPE over 6 weeks. All groups significantly increased 0- to 5-m velocity and 0- to 10-m velocity by 4-7%, with no differences between groups. There were no significant differences in session RPE between the groups, suggesting that protocols were matched for intensity. Session RPE significantly increased over the 6 weeks for all groups, ranging from 3.75 to 5.50. This equated to intensities of somewhat hard to hard. Post hoc testing revealed few significant weekly increases, suggesting that session RPE may not be sensitive to weekly load increases in sprint and plyometric training programs. Another explanation, however, could be that the weekly load increments used were not great enough to increase perceived exertion. Nonetheless, the progressive overload of each program was sufficient to improve 10-m sprint performance. The session RPE values from the present study could be used to assess workload for speed training periodization within a team sports conditioning program.     

Quantitation of resistance training using the session rating of perceived exertion method

The purpose of this study was to apply the session rating of perceived exertion (RPE) method, which is known to work with aerobic training, to resistance training. Ten men (26.1 +/- 10.2 years) and 10 women (22.2 +/- 1.8 years), habituated to both aerobic and resistance training, performed 3 x 30 minutes aerobic training bouts on the cycle ergometer at intensities of 56%, 71%, and 83% Vo(2) peak and then rated the global intensity using the session RPE technique (e.g., 0-10) 30 minutes after the end of the session. They also performed 3 x 30 minutes resistance exercise bouts with 2 sets of 6 exercises at 50% (15 repetitions), 70% (10 repetitions), and 90% (4 repetitions) of 1 repetition maximum (1RM). After each set the exercisers rated the intensity of that exercise using the RPE scale. Thirty minutes after the end of the bout they rated the intensity of the whole session and of only the lifting components of the session, using the session RPE method. The rated intensity of exercise increased with the %Vo(2) peak and the %1RM. There was a general correspondence between the relative intensity (%Vo(2) peak and % 1RM) and the session RPE. Between different types of resistance exercise at the same relative intensity, the average RPE after each lift varied widely. The resistance training session RPE increased as the intensity increased despite a decrease in the total work performed (p < 0.05). Mean RPE and session RPE-lifting only also grew with increased intensity (p < 0.05). In many cases, the mean RPE, session RPE, and session RPE- lifting only measurements were different at given exercise intensities (p < 0.05). The session RPE appears to be a viable method for quantitating the intensity of resistance training, generally comparable to aerobic training. However, the session RPE may meaningfully underestimate the average intensity rated immediately after each set.     

Acute effects of whole-body vibration on neuromuscular responses in older individuals: implications for prescription of vibratory stimulation

The aim of this study was to analyze surface electromyography activity (sEMG) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) responses in different muscles while standing on a vibrating platform producing oscillations of different frequencies and amplitudes. Twenty community-dwelling older adults (79.6 ± 3.2 years) took part in the research. Subjects were exposed to 12 different vibration treatments of 15 seconds separated by 1 minute of rest in random order to check the influence of frequency (25, 35, and 45 Hz) and amplitude (1 mm [low] and 3.1 mm [high]) vibration on sEMG signal and RPE. Additionally, the use of a soft pad was also examined for its influence on these measures. Three-factor analysis of variance for RPE and both lower and whole-body sEMGs revealed a significant amplitude main effect (p < 0.01), and soft mat effect (p < 0.01), and a significant frequency main effect (p < 0.01). The major findings were that sEMG and RPE increased with the acceleration of the vibration; moreover, the increments of sEMG were highly correlated with RPE. The results of this study suggest that using the RPE method after each exercise would allow exercise and health professionals to assess the intensity levels that correspond to the level of the vibratory program in older adults.