Perceptual Regulation of Prescribed Exercise

This investigation used perceptions of effort (PE) to replicate exercise bouts of low (L), moderate (M), and high (H) intensities. Thirty men (18–25 years) were divided into three groups: Practice with Feedback (PF); Practice without Feedback (PWOF); and Control (C). Four treadmill (TM) trials (T1, T2, T3, T4) were used with supervised TM practice between T2 and T3 and supervised field exercise between T3 and T4. At T1, subjects exercised on a TM at L, M, and H intensities and assigned a perceptual rating to each, using a Borg RPE scale (6–20). For T2, T3, and T4, subjects adjusted the speed of the TM to replicate feelings at T1. Results for the percent inaccuracy scores (%IS) for speed (averaged over intensities) at T2 were: PF = 12.2%; PWOF = 16.1%; C = 14%. Practice with feedback and PWOF reduced %IS by 4.5% at T3, while C increased %IS by 4.5% (P > 0.05). All three groups retained the T3 level of inaccuracy at T4. HR and O2 responses to replicated speeds were more accurate at M and H on all trials (P > 0.05). Subjects more accurately reproduced speed using PE after practice for all exercise intensities.