An Examination and Critique of Subjective Methods to Determine Exercise Intensity: The Talk Test, Feeling Scale, and Rating of Perceived Exertion

Bok, Daniel; Rakovac, Marija; Foster, Carl

doi:10.1007/s40279-022-01690-3

Cited by 33 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 138 publications

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“…The training intensity individualization in these studies was done by using maximal aerobic speed (MAS) or vVO 2max attained in maximal incremental exercise tests (IET) performed in the laboratory conditions on the treadmill (de Freitas, et al, 2019;Rozenek, Funato, Kubo, Hoshikawa, & Matsuo, 2007;Twist, Bott, & Highton, 2023) or in the field (Billat, et al, 2001;Collison, et al, 2022;Dupont & Berthoin, 2004;Dupont, Blondel, Lensel & Berthoin, 2002;Julio, et al, 2020), and the training protocols were all conducted in a form of straight-line running. Although a number of objective (Jamnick, Pettitt, Granata, Pyne, & Bishop, 2020) and subjective (Bok, Rakovac, & Foster, 2022) methods can be used for exercise prescription, the translation of exercise test responses to an accurate individualization of training sessions is still an extremely complex task (Bok & Foster, 2021;Foster, et al, 2020). Specifically, physiological responses can be very heterogeneous if training protocols are individualized through MAS or vVO 2max assessed with IET and then conducted in-doors in the form of shuttle running (Buchheit, 2008;Sandford, Laursen, & Buchheit, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Accuracy of the 20-m shuttle run test for individualizing exercise intensity of high-intensity interval training

Bok
¹
,

Gulin
²
,

Gregov
³

2023

Kinesiology (Zagreb, Online)

4
1
4
0

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The aim of the study was to investigate the accuracy of the 20 m shuttle run test (20mSRT) for the prescription of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and to examine the appropriate intensity, prescribed by the 20mSRT end-test speed, for the execution of HIIT. Twenty physical education students (age: 22.4 ± 0.8 years, body height: 175.7 ± 8.9 cm, body weight: 73.8 ± 13.4 kg) participated in the study. On two separate occasions the participants were first tested with a maximal incremental exercise test and the 20mSRT. On another two occasions they were required to perform a 10-minute HIIT session comprised of 15-s runs interspersed with 15-s passive recovery. The intensities of the HIIT sessions were either 100% (T100%) or 110% (T110%) of the end-test speed reached in the 20mSRT. Mean oxygen uptake (VO2) (84.4 ± 5.5% vs 77.8 ± 6.9% of VO2max), mean heart rate (HR) (93 ± 2.8% vs 87.6 ± 4.6% of HRmax), blood lactate concentration (12.6 ± 2.1 vs 5.4 ± 2.6 mmol/l), and ratings of perceived exertion (9.5 ± 0.5 vs 6.7 ± 1) were all significantly (p<.01) higher during T110% vs T100%. The percentage of the total exercise time spent ≥ 90% VO2max (37.6 ± 25.3 vs 18.6 ± 18.0%, p<.05) and ≥ 90% HRmax (73.9 ± 17.7% vs 37.5 ± 33.3, p<.001) were also significantly higher during T110%. The mean VO2 and HR coefficient of variation during T110% were 6.5 and 3%, respectively. The cardiorespiratory, metabolic, and perceptual responses to T110% were reflective of the responses typical for HIIT, while T100% induced insufficient physiological stress to enable optimal cardiorespiratory adaptation. Therefore, the intensity of 110% 20mSRT is preferable for inducing the appropriate acute physiological responses and the 20mSRT can be used to accurately prescribe HIIT.

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Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%

Accuracy of the 20-m shuttle run test for individualizing exercise intensity of high-intensity interval training
Bok
¹
,
Gulin
²
,
Gregov
³

2023
Kinesiology (Zagreb, Online)
4
1
4
0
View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The critical intensity, aiming to separate the heavy-to-severe exercise transition, has been referred to by several descriptive concepts such as critical power (CP), maximal lactate steady state, second lactate threshold (LT2), respiratory compensation point (RCP), and second ventilatory threshold (VT2), and is felt to be metabolically unstable and non-sustainable [ 1 , 6 ]. Since both thresholds theoretically require either invasive testing and/or specialized costly equipment, various surrogate markers have been proposed for zone demarcation [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]. Historically, simple zone estimations using heart rate (HR) or HR reserve were suggested but have been shown to be inaccurate [ 13 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%

“…Historically, simple zone estimations using heart rate (HR) or HR reserve were suggested but have been shown to be inaccurate [ 13 ]. Several alternate non-invasive methods have been developed to improve boundary precision, including those based upon heart rate variability (HRV), the relative perceived effort (RPE), the deoxygenated hemoglobin signal (HHb) from near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), calculations of CP, and the functional threshold power (FTP) [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ]. Considering available methods, only HRV and RPE have been proposed for both low and high intensity threshold identification.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%

Improved Estimation of Exercise Intensity Thresholds by Combining Dual Non-Invasive Biomarker Concepts: Correlation Properties of Heart Rate Variability and Respiratory Frequency
Rogers
¹
,
Schaffarczyk
²
,
Gronwald
³

2023
Sensors
5
0
0
0
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Identifying exercise intensity boundaries has been shown to be important during endurance training for performance enhancement and rehabilitation. Unfortunately, even though surrogate markers show promise when assessed on a group level, substantial deviation from gold standards can be present in each individual. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether combining two surrogate intensity markers improved this agreement. Electrocardiogram (ECG) and gas exchange data were obtained from 21 participants who performed an incremental cycling ramp to exhaustion and evaluated for first (VT1) and second (VT2) ventilatory thresholds, heart rate (HR) variability (HRV), and ECG derived respiratory frequency (EDR). HRV thresholds (HRVT) were based on the non-linear index a1 of a Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA a1) and EDR thresholds (EDRT) upon the second derivative of the sixth-order polynomial of EDR over time. The average of HRVT and EDRT HR was set as the combined threshold (Combo). Mean VT1 was reached at a HR of 141 ± 15, HRVT1 at 152 ± 14 (p < 0.001), EDRT1 at 133 ± 12 (p < 0.001), and Combo1 at 140 ± 13 (p = 0.36) bpm with Pearson’s r of 0.83, 0.78, and 0.84, respectively, for comparisons to VT1. A Bland–Altman analysis showed mean biases of 8.3 ± 7.9, −8.3 ± 9.5, and −1.7 ± 8.3 bpm, respectively. A mean VT2 was reached at a HR of 165 ± 13, HRVT2 at 167 ± 10 (p = 0.89), EDRT2 at 164 ± 14 (p = 0.36), and Combo2 at 164 ± 13 (p = 0.59) bpm with Pearson’s r of 0.58, 0.95, and 0.94, respectively, for comparisons to VT2. A Bland–Altman analysis showed mean biases of −0.3 ± 8.9, −1.0 ± 4.6, and −0.6 ± 4.6 bpm, respectively. Both the DFA a1 and EDR intensity thresholds based on HR taken individually had moderate agreement to targets derived through gas exchange measurements. By combining both non-invasive approaches, there was improved correlation, reduced bias, and limits of agreement to the respective corresponding HRs at VT1 and VT2.

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“…Although the scientific knowledge about central and peripheral signals involved in the perceived exertion genesis has notably progressed in the last decade, the scenario is complex, and some caveats remain, requiring an integrative physiological interpretation to advance the field further [ 11 , 16 ]. Lastly, practitioners have extensively applied the perceived exertion to prescribe exercise intensity [ 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. However, the practical application of perceived exertion assessment has advanced since its inception [ 6 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%

Perceived Exertion: Revisiting the History and Updating the Neurophysiology and the Practical Applications
Lopes
¹
,
Pereira
²
,
Silva
³

2022
IJERPH
10
0
12
0
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The perceived exertion construct creation is a landmark in exercise physiology and sport science. Obtaining perceived exertion is relatively easy, but practitioners often neglect some critical methodological issues in its assessment. Furthermore, the perceived exertion definition, neurophysiological basis, and practical applications have evolved since the perceived exertion construct’s inception. Therefore, we revisit the careful work devoted by Gunnar Borg with psychophysical methods to develop the perceived exertion construct, which resulted in the creation of two scales: the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and the category-ratio 10 (CR10). We discuss a contemporary definition that considers perceived exertion as a conscious perception of how hard, heavy, and strenuous the exercise is, according to the sense of effort to command the limbs and the feeling of heavy breathing (respiratory effort). Thus, other exercise-evoked sensations would not hinder the reported perceived exertion. We then describe the neurophysiological mechanisms involved in the perceived exertion genesis during exercise, including the influence of the peripheral feedback from the skeletal muscles and the cardiorespiratory system (i.e., afferent feedback) and the influence of efferent copies from the motor command and respiratory drive (i.e., corollary discharges), as well as the interaction between them. We highlight essential details practitioners should consider when using the RPE and CR10 scales, such as the perceived exertion definition, the original scales utilization, and the descriptors anchoring process. Finally, we present how practitioners can use perceived exertion to assess cardiorespiratory fitness, individualize exercise intensity prescription, predict endurance exercise performance, and monitor athletes’ responses to physical training.

show abstract

An Examination and Critique of Subjective Methods to Determine Exercise Intensity: The Talk Test, Feeling Scale, and Rating of Perceived Exertion

Cited by 33 publications

References 138 publications

Accuracy of the 20-m shuttle run test for individualizing exercise intensity of high-intensity interval training

Accuracy of the 20-m shuttle run test for individualizing exercise intensity of high-intensity interval training

Improved Estimation of Exercise Intensity Thresholds by Combining Dual Non-Invasive Biomarker Concepts: Correlation Properties of Heart Rate Variability and Respiratory Frequency

Perceived Exertion: Revisiting the History and Updating the Neurophysiology and the Practical Applications

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