Overall and peripheral ratings of perceived exertion during a graded exercise test to volitional exhaustion in individuals of high and low fitness

This study assessed the relationship between differentiated ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and heart rate with oxygen uptake \(({\dot{\hbox{V}}}\hbox{O}_{2})\) during two graded exercise tests (GXT) to exhaustion on a cycle ergometer in 49 men and women (19–50 years) of high and low fitness. The study also assessed whether sub-maximal RPE values elicited during the GXTs could provide appropriate estimates of maximal aerobic power \(({\dot{\hbox{V}}}\hbox{O}_{2{\rm max}}).\) Peripheral RPE (RPE_P) was higher than overall RPE (RPE_O) at exhaustion in both groups (P < 0.001), but the reliability of the terminal RPE_O was higher (0.75 and 0.40, respectively). Fitness did not moderate the relationship of RPE_O and RPE_P with \({\dot{\hbox{V}}}\hbox{O}_{2}\) during the GXTs (P > 0.05). However, the correlation for RPE_P and \({\dot{\hbox{V}}}\hbox{O}_{2}\) was higher for women compared to men (0.98 and 0.96, respectively, P < 0.05), although this is of little practical significance. In both groups, RPE_O was almost as highly correlated with \({\dot{\hbox{V}}}\hbox{O}_{2}\) as heart rate during GXTs terminated at exhaustion (∼0.955–0.980). There were no differences between predicted and measured \({\dot{\hbox{V}}}\hbox{O}_{2{\rm max}}\) when \({\dot{\hbox{V}}}\hbox{O}_{2}\) values were extrapolated from sub-maximal RPE_O (13, 15 and 17) intensities (42.1 ± 12.5, 43.4 ± 11.5, 44.2 ± 11.3 and 43.3 ± 10.0 ml kg⁻¹ min⁻¹, respectively). However, \({\dot{\hbox{V}}}\hbox{O}_{2{\rm max}}\) predicted from sub-maximal RPE_P intensities was significantly lower (P < 0.05). In conclusion, terminal RPE_O was a more reliable measure of the RPE, and provided more accurate estimates of \({\dot{\hbox{V}}}\hbox{O}_{2{\rm max}}\) in healthy participants of high and low fitness when elicited from sub-maximal exercise intensities.