Relationship Between Perceived Exertion and Physiologic Markers During Arm Exercise With Able-Bodied Participants and Participants With Poliomyelitis

doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2009.10.019

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Volume 91, Issue 2, February 2010, Pages 273-277

Presented to the British Association of Sport and Exercise Science, September 3, 2009, Leeds, UK.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2009.10.019 Get rights and content

Abstract

Al-Rahamneh HQ, Faulkner JA, Byrne C, Eston RG. Relationship between perceived exertion and physiologic markers during arm exercise with able-bodied participants and participants with poliomyelitis.

Objective

To investigate the strength of the relationship between ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and oxygen uptake (V̇o₂), heart rate, ventilation (V̇e) and power output (PO) during an arm-crank ramped exercise test to volitional exhaustion in men and women who differed in physical status.

Design

Each participant completed an arm-crank ramp exercise test to volitional exhaustion. PO was increased by 15W·min⁻¹ and 6W·min⁻¹ for men and women able-bodied participants, respectively; for the poliomyelitis participants, 9W·min⁻¹ and 6W·min⁻¹ increments were used for men and women, respectively.

Setting

Laboratory facilities at a university.

Participants

Able-bodied participants (n=16; 9 men, 7 women) and participants with poliomyelitis (n=15, 8 men, 7 women) volunteered for the study.

Main Outcome Measures

Strength of the relationship (R² values) between RPE and V̇o₂, heart rate, V̇e and PO.

Results

There were significantly higher values for maximum V̇o₂ and maximum PO for able-bodied men compared with their counterparts with poliomyelitis (P<.05). However, when the data were controlled for age, there were no significant differences in these values (P>.05). Similar results were observed for the women who were able-bodied as well as for the women who had poliomyelitis (P>.05). The relationships between heart rate and RPE and V̇e and RPE for able-bodied patients and patients with poliomyelitis were similar (R²>.87). The relationship between V̇o₂ and RPE was stronger in the able-bodied participants compared wih the participants with poliomyelitis, regardless of sex (P<.05). However, when the data were controlled for age, there was no significant difference in the strength of this relationship between able-bodied participants and those with poliomyelitis, regardless of sex (P>.05).

Conclusions

RPE is strongly related to physiologic markers of exercise intensity during arm exercise, irrespective of sex or participant's poliomyelitis status.

Section snippets

Participants

In accordance with an alpha less than .05 (2-tailed) and 80% power, it was determined that a meaningful effect size would be obtained from a sample of greater than 30 participants.²⁵ Therefore, 16 men and women of able-bodied status and 15 men and women with poliomyelitis volunteered to take part in the study. Participants with poliomyelitis had flaccid paralysis of the lower limbs. The inclusion criteria were provision of written informed consent, less than 45 years of age, no prior experience

Descriptive Statistics

Participant descriptives can be observed in table 1. Men and women with poliomyelitis were significantly older than their able-bodied counterparts (t_7.21=−10.58, P<.01) and (t_6.37=−7.44, P<.01), respectively. Although there was no significant difference in body mass between able-bodied participants and those with poliomyelitis, regardless of sex (P>.05), able-bodied men and women were significantly taller than their counterparts who had poliomyelitis (t₁₅=2.14, P<.05) and (t₁₂=4.76, P<.01),

Discussion

This study assessed the physiologic and perceptual responses of able-bodied participants and participants with poliomyelitis during arm-crank exercise to volitional exhaustion. The results demonstrate strong relationships between the RPE and V̇o₂, heart rate, V̇e and PO during an arm-crank exercise, regardless of sex or participants' status. As such, the study provides evidence that persons with poliomyelitis can perceptually rate their level of exertion in relation to measured physiologic

Conclusions

This study has provided further evidence that RPEs are strongly related to physiologic markers of exercise intensity during arm exercise (R²>.87), irrespective of sex or participants' status. Accordingly, persons with poliomyelitis can accurately rate their level of exertion in relation to measured physiologic values during arm exercise. Future research studies could examine whether the RPE may be accurately used to prescribe and monitor appropriate exercise intensities during arm exercise with

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Citation Excerpt :
Persons with paraplegia exercised at ∼65% Vo2peak at peripheral RPE 13 during both exercise tests. This is in accordance with previous research during leg cycling, treadmill running, and arm cranking.3,4,5,24,9 This intensity is considered effective because it may elicit cardiorespiratory adaptations, ensure the safe application of an exercise test, and improve the participants' adherence and sense of autonomy associated with exercise participation.24,25
Al-Rahamneh HQ, Eston RG. Prediction of peak oxygen consumption from the ratings of perceived exertion during a graded exercise test and ramp exercise test in able-bodied participants and paraplegic persons.
To assess the accuracy of predicting peak oxygen consumption (Vo₂peak) from a graded exercise test (GXT) and a ramp exercise test during arm exercise in able-bodied persons and persons with paraplegia using ratings of perceived exertion (RPEs).
Each participant performed a GXT (started at 30W and increased by 15W every 2min) and a ramp exercise test (started at 0W and increased by 15W·min⁻¹).
Universities' laboratories.
Able-bodied men (n=13; mean ± SD, 27.2±4.3y) and men with paraplegia (n=12; 31.1±5.7y). Six of the persons with paraplegia had flaccid paralysis as a result of poliomyelitis infection. The other 6 persons had complete spinal cord injuries with neurologic levels at and below T6.
Not applicable.
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The GXT provided acceptable predictions of Vo₂peak for persons with paraplegia, and the ramp test provided acceptable predictions of Vo₂peak for able-bodied persons.
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Original articleRelationship Between Perceived Exertion and Physiologic Markers During Arm Exercise With Able-Bodied Participants and Participants With Poliomyelitis

Abstract

Objective

Design

Setting

Participants

Main Outcome Measures

Results

Conclusions

Section snippets

Participants

Descriptive Statistics

Discussion

Conclusions

Histopathological basis of clinical findings in poliomyelitis

Am J Med

Vasomotor abnormalities as post-polio sequelae

Orthopedics

Conditioning with physical disabilities

Residual poliomyelitis of lower limb-pattern and deformities

Indian J Pediatr

Risk of falling: predictors based on reduced strength in persons previously affected by polio

Arch Phys Med Rehabil

Pulmonary function in individuals with a history of poliomyelitis

Chest

Movement energetics of individuals with a history of poliomyelitis

Arch Phys Med Rehabil

Submaximal exercise capacity and maximal power output in polio subjects

Arch Phys Med Rehabil

Cardiorespiratory responses to aerobic training by patients with postpoliomyelitis sequelae

JAMA

Cardiorespiratory responses to upper extremity aerobic training by postpolio subjects

Arch Phys Med Rehabil

Borg's perceived exertion and pain scales

Perceived exertion

The validity of predicting maximal oxygen uptake from a perceptually-regulated graded exercise test

Eur J Appl Physiol

Prediction of maximal oxygen uptake from the ratings of perceived exertion and heart rate during a perceptually-regulated sub-maximal exercise test in active and sedentary participants

Eur J Appl Physiol

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

Eur J Appl Physiol

Long-term exercise training in persons with spinal cord injury: effects on strength, arm ergometry performance and psychological well-being

Spinal Cord

Regulating intensity using perceived exertion in spinal cord injured participants

Med Sci Sports Exerc

Original article
Relationship Between Perceived Exertion and Physiologic Markers During Arm Exercise With Able-Bodied Participants and Participants With Poliomyelitis