Measuring Training Load in Dance: The Construct Validity of Session-RPE

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The session rating of perceived exertion (session-RPE) is a practical and non-invasive method that allows a quantification of internal training load (ITL) in individual and team sports. As yet, no study has investigated its construct validity in dance. This study examines the convergent validity between the session-RPE method and an objective heart rate (HR)-based method of quantifying the similar ITL in vocational dance students during professional dance training. METHODS: Ten dance students (4 male, 20±1.16 yrs; 6 female, 20±0.52 yrs) participated in this study. During a normal week of training, session-RPE and HR data were recorded in 96 individual sessions. HR data were analysed using Edwards-TL method. Correlation analysis was used to evaluate the convergent validity between the session-RPE and Edwards-TL methods for assessing ITL in a variety of training modes (contemporary, ballet, and rehearsal). RESULTS: The overall correlation between individual session-RPE and Edwards-TL was r=0.72, p<0.0001, suggesting there was a statistically significantly strong positive relationship between session-RPE and Edwards-TL. This trend was observed across all the training modes: rehearsal sessions (r=0.74, p=0.001), contemporary (r=0.60, p=0.001), and ballet (r=0.46, p=0.018) sessions. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that session-RPE can be considered as a valid method to assess ITL for vocational dance students, and that notably there is some variation between session-RPE and HR-based TL in different dance activities.

Work related cardiovascular load in professional dance teachers – a pilot study

“…Even though all correlation coefficients were lower than stated by Chen et al (2002) [10] and only medium correlations could be observed, the subgroup analysis in the field of J/MD showed a correlation that was only slightly lower. Thus, these results are also somewhat lower than those of Surgenor et al (2019) [24], who found high construct validity for RPEs. Based on the WHO (2010) [25] health recommendations for physical activity, which are 150 min per week of moderate intensity (corresponds to a 5 or 6 on a scale of 0-10) or alternatively 75 min per week of strenuous intensity (corresponds to a 7 or 8 on a scale of 0-10) for people between 18 and 64 years of age, the dance teachers' teaching workload is significantly higher.…”

The Validity of the Session Rating of Perceived Exertion Method for Measuring Internal Training Load in Professional Classical Ballet Dancers

“…Consistent with both Jeffries et al (2016) and Surgenor and Wyon (2019), we report weaker relationships between s-RPE and objective measures in ballet class compared with rehearsals. While each of these studies attributed this finding to the difference in dance genre (i.e., ballet class vs contemporary rehearsals), and ballet not being the participants' primary discipline, neither of these explanations explain the current results.…”

“…Both the rmcorr and individual correlations observed between s-RPE and objective measures in the present study are slightly larger than both group (r = 0.71; Surgenor and Wyon, 2019) and individual (r = 0.72 ± 0.13; Jeffries et al, 2016) correlation coefficients reported in pre-professional contemporary dancers. Classical ballet and contemporary dance differ in their frequency of jumps (4.99 ± 4.93 vs. 1.71 ± 2.21 jumps per min), lifts (0.97 ± 2.53 vs. 0.12 ± 0.23 lifts per min), and changes of direction (3.34 ± 1.89 vs. 0.58 ± 0.58 changes of direction per min; Wyon et al, 2011).…”

“…Group correlations ranging from 0.44-0.73 and 0.52-0.72 were seen for contemporary class and rehearsal, respectively, while relationships were weaker in ballet class (r = 0.32-0.58). Similarly, in a cohort of pre-professional contemporary dancers, Surgenor and Wyon (2019) saw a strong group correlation (r = 0.72) between contemporary class and rehearsals, but a moderate relationship (r = 0.46) in ballet class alone. The weaker relationships seen in ballet class compared with rehearsals could have been because ballet was not the dancers' primary genre, or because of a difference in the genres themselves.…”

“…The s-RPE method is therefore commonly used in both research and applied practice, and has been validated across a range of modalities including team (Impellizzeri et al, 2004), combat (Padulo et al, 2014), and endurance sports (DellaValle and Haas, 2013). Although the validity of s-RPE has been demonstrated in populations of contemporary (Jeffries et al, 2016;Surgenor and Wyon, 2019) and step dancers (Ozkan and Kin-Isler, 2007), to our knowledge it has not been investigated within ballet dancers. Jeffries et al (2016) investigated relationships between s-RPE and objective measures of internal TL in contemporary dancers during contemporary class, contemporary rehearsal, and ballet class.…”