Ratings of Perceived Exertion During Walking Predicts Endurance Independent of Physiological Effort in Older Women.

Hunter, GR, Neumeier, WH, Chandler-Laney, PC, Carter, SJ, Borges, JH, Hornbuckle, LM, Plaisance, EP, and Fisher, G. Ratings of perceived exertion during walking predicts endurance independent of physiological effort in older women. J Strength Cond Res 34(5): 1340-1344, 2020 This study aimed to determine whether ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and physiological effort at different exercise intensities relate to exercise endurance. Ninety-eight sedentary women (older than 60 years) completed 3 submaximal locomotion tasks: (a) stair climbing, (b) flat walking at 2 mph, and (c) grade walking at 2 mph. Maximal treadmill endurance was measured at least 3 days before the submaximal tests.Oxygen uptakewas measured during all tests, and RPE were collected for the submaximal tasks. Ratings of perceived exertion during moderate-intensity exercise (walking on the flat at 43% VO₂max, partial R=20.35, p,<0.01), but not higher intensity exercise (grade walk at 59%VO₂max, p = 0.49, and stair climbing at 67% VO₂max, p = 0.17), were related to endurance even after adjusting for aerobic capacity and physiological effort (composite of maximal heart rate, ventilation, and respiratory exchange ratio). However, physiological effort was significantly related to endurance for the higher intensity exercise (both grade walk and stair climbing partial R .>; −0.24, p ,< 0.02). Similar to previous findings that subjective ratings of fatigue at rest were related to RPE during low/moderateintensity exercise, but not higher intensity exercise, these data further support Ekkekakiss dual-mode hypothesis that cognitive factors influence RPE during low∕moderate-intensity exercise. A practical application is that the coach and personal trainer should know that physiological effort seems to play a greater role in influencing endurance than RPE as intensity of exercise increases [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]