Physiological and perceptual responses to super-slow and traditional repetition tempos when time under tension is matched during lower-body resistance exercise

BACKGROUND: Researchers have identified that when time under tension (TUT) is matched, faster repetition tempos generally result in greater physiological stress, but little is known about the perceptual effects of such conditions (e.g., enjoyment). Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to compare the physiological and perceptual effects of resistance exercise with traditional tempos (TT; 2/1 s, 20 repetitions) and super-slow tempos (SST; 8/4 s, five repetitions) with TUT matched.METHODS: 13 recreationally-trained lifters (six male, seven female) performed five sets of lower-body resistance exercise with TT and SST. For each set, TUT and RPE were fixed at 60 s and ≥8, respectively. Oxygen consumption was measured before and after each session while heart rate (HR), blood lactate (BL), RPE, and affect were measured during each session. Subjects filled out the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES) following the TT and SST training sessions.RESULTS: Total volume load, HR, BL, and RPE were significantly greater during TT while external load, impulse, affect, and PACES were significantly greater during the SST. Oxygen consumption was higher before and after TT, but, when expressed as a percent increase, there were no significant differences between tempos.CONCLUSIONS: When TUT is matched, physiological stress and perceived exertion are higher when faster and more frequent repetitions are performed during lower-body resistance exercise. Under the same conditions, lifters can use heavier external loads when slower, less frequent repetitions are performed, and they tend to enjoy these sessions more.