Perceptually Regulated Training at RPE13 Is
Pleasant and Improves Physical Health
GAYNOR PARFITT1, HARRISON EVANS2, and ROGER ESTON1,2
1
The Sansom Institute for Health Research, School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA,
AUSTRALIA; and 2Sport and Health Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter,
UNITED KINGDOM
ABSTRACT
PARFITT, G., H. EVANS, and R. ESTON. Perceptually Regulated Training at RPE13 Is Pleasant and Improves Physical Health.
Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 44, No. 8, pp. 1613–1618, 2012. Purpose: Despite endorsement by various health organizations, there is a
lack of research on the effectiveness of perceptually regulated exercise training (PRET) as a method of exercise intensity prescription.
The purpose of this study was to confirm the efficacy of an 8-wk PRET program clamped at RPE13 to improve aerobic fitness and
cardiovascular health. The affective response to this method of exercise prescription was also assessed. Methods: Sedentary volunteers
(age = 34.3 T 13.0 yr, weight = 72.5 T 13.7 kg, height = 1.7 T 0.1 m) were randomly assigned to either a training (n = 16) or a control
(n = 10) group. All participants completed a graded exercise test to determine aerobic capacity at baseline and after the intervention.
Participants allocated to the training group performed 30 min of PRET at RPE13 on the Borg 6–20 RPE Scale on three occasions per
week for 8 wk. Affective valence was measured using the Feeling Scale. Results: The RPE-regulated training resulted in improvements
(P G 0.01) in V̇O2max, mean arterial pressure, total cholesterol, and body mass index in the training group across time. During training at
RPE13, V̇O2 increased (P G 0.01) from week 1 (19.2 T 1.1 mLIkgj1Iminj1) to week 8 (23.4 T 1.1 mLIkgj1Iminj1). On average, affect
was positive and stable throughout training (3.4 T 1.2). Affect measured at RPE13 in the baseline and postintervention graded exercise
tests increased in the training group (3.1 T .9 to 3.7 T 1.1, P G 0.05), whereas it decreased in the control group (2.8 T 1.1 to 2.6 T 1).
Conclusions: Sedentary individuals were able to use PRET at RPE13 to improve their cardiovascular health and fitness, and on average,
the exercise intensities selected were perceived to feel pleasant. Key Words: AFFECT, PERCEIVED EXERTION, MEAN ARTERIAL
PRESSURE, TOTAL CHOLESTEROL, FITNESS
E
Address for correspondence: Gaynor Parfitt, Ph.D., The Sansom Institute
for Health Research, School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Centenary Building, City East Campus, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide,
SA 5000, Australia; E-mail: gaynor.parfitt@unisa.edu.au.
Submitted for publication November 2011.
Accepted for publication January 2012.
0195-9131/12/4408-1613/0
MEDICINE & SCIENCE IN SPORTS & EXERCISEÒ
Copyright Ó 2012 by the American College of Sports Medicine
DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e31824d266e
1613
Copyright © 2012 by the American College of Sports Medicine. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
APPLIED SCIENCES
quired to support the development of intrinsically motivated
behavior. A prescribed exercise intensity is unlikely to meet
this need for autonomy. Recent research has also linked the
affective responses to exercise (how pleasant/unpleasant it
was perceived to be) to future exercise behavior (27,36,41),
with affect proposed to be the first link in the exercise adherence chain (40). Underpinned by hedonic theory (26),
that individuals will seek to repeat behaviors that are pleasurable and avoid those that are not, it is logical that if an
exercise experience has been pleasant then the individual
will wish to repeat it. If it has been unpleasant, this is less
likely to be the case.
Research has demonstrated different affective responses
to an exercise stimulus dependent on the individual and the
metabolic strain associated with the stimulus (13,15,29,32).
High interindividual variability has been recorded when
individuals are prescribed intensities that would be described
as moderate (46%–63% V̇O2max) (3), with some individuals
reporting positive affective responses and some reporting
negative (34,35,40). Furthermore, when exercise intensity is
prescribed and exceeds the preferred intensity by a small
degree (e.g., 10% higher than the preferred intensity), affective responses decrease significantly (16,28). According
to the dual-mode theory, which can explain the affective
responses to the exercise stimulus, this variability and pattern of responses is due to the interplay between cognitive
xercise intensity is described as the most important
exercise prescription variable to maintain a cardiovascular training response (1, p. 161). However, it is
recognized that the training response needs to be considered
alongside other factors that may influence long-term exercise behavior change and that exercise prescription may not
sit comfortably with these factors (1,3). Among the factors
identified are ‘‘individual choice, preference and enjoyment’’ (3, p. 1346): constructs that support motivational
processes. In this regard, the American College of Sports
Medicine (ACSM) has reported that exercise that is pleasant
and enjoyable can improve adoption and adherence to prescribed exercise programs (3, p. 1334).
According to self-determination theory (9), autonomy
(perceived choice) is one of three psychological needs re-
APPLIED SCIENCES
factors (e.g., personality, competence, experience) and interoceptive (e.g., muscular, respiratory) cues and how the
cues are interpreted. Allowing individuals to self-select a
preferred exercise intensity has been shown to result in more
positive affective responses than when a similar exercise
intensity has been prescribed (16,28,32,35), potentially because the cognitive factors are actively engaged in the process of regulation.
One method of exercise intensity regulation that has the
potential to support motivation and also the maintenance of
a more pleasant affect is the use of perceived exertion in a
production mode. In the production mode, participants regulate the exercise intensity (speed and gradient on a treadmill, resistance on a cycle ergometer) in accordance with
specified RPE on the Borg 6-20 RPE Scale (4) based on
their own perceptual sense. Such a method is within the
participants’ own control and has the potential to reduce the
interindividual differences that may be present in studies
when intensity is set relative to aerobic capacity. Indeed,
data suggest that, when allowed to self-select, participants
typically select an intensity that they would rate as between
RPE10 and RPE14 on the Borg 6–20 RPE Scale, which is
associated with a positive affective response (12). Furthermore, in production paradigm studies, research has demonstrated that, when regulating at an RPE13 (somewhat hard),
affective responses are positive in both active and inactive
participants (31). An RPE13 equates to intensities around
50%–70% V̇O2max (18–20,30). Within the recent ACSM
Position Stand (3), the use of RPE and affect for exercise
prescription is acknowledged, but it is noted that ‘‘evidence
is insufficient to support these methods as a primary method
of exercise prescription’’ (p. 1344). Furthermore, based on a
decade of research (and building on the decade before),
Ekkekakis et al. (17) call for a tripartite rationale to exercise
prescription with the addition of ‘‘pleasure’’ to the standard
criteria that the exercise has to be effective and safe.
The utility of the RPE in a production mode was first
confirmed in patients with cardiac diseases (5) and later in
studies using healthy adults during treadmill (19,22,38) and
cycling (11,20,31) exercises. Despite this conceptual evidence, there is currently little research regarding the efficacy
of a perceptually regulated training program to increase
aerobic capacity. Celine et al. (6) reported a 10% increase in
V̇O2max after 6 wk in nine healthy young (22.4 T 2.7 yr)
women, who perceptually regulated exercise intensity on
a cycle ergometer at the RPE corresponding to the ventilatory threshold (VT). A 20-wk pilot study (10) on six elderly
(70 T 7.1 yr) postmenopausal women used the RPE equating
to 40%, 50%, and 60% of V̇O2max (measured on a cycle
ergometer) as the basis for controlling exercise intensity
across a combination of treadmill walking, cycling, and stair
climbing. Application of the RPE in this way is inapposite
because it assumes equivalence of the intensity–RPE relationship across different modes of exercise. The above
studies are also limited by their small and homogenous
sample sizes of either fit young women or elderly women.
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Official Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine
Further, they have prescribed an intensity (%V̇O2max or VT)
based on extrapolation of a previously determined RPE–
intensity relationship.
The objective of this study was to examine if perceptually
regulated training intensity on a treadmill, anchored to a
common semantic descriptor (‘‘somewhat hard,’’ RPE13),
would lead to cardiovascular health improvements. A perceptually regulated exercise training (PRET) program
clamped at 13 on the RPE scale should equate to significant
increases in aerobic fitness in sedentary men and women.
The procedure permits the participant to dictate the intensity
by controlling the speed and gradient during the training
session and thereby achieve a sense of autonomy. Previous
research suggests that this method of self-regulation should
also support the maintenance of positive affect. Therefore,
the aims of this study were to 1) confirm the efficacy of an
8-wk, ambulatory PRET program clamped at RPE13 to improve aerobic fitness and cardiovascular health and 2) assess
the affective responses to this method of exercise prescription. It was hypothesized that participants who trained using
RPE13 to regulate their exercise intensity would improve
in fitness and cardiovascular health and would maintain a
positive affective response during training.
METHODS
Participants. Twenty-six (seven men) sedentary volunteers (age = 34.3 T 13.0 yr, weight = 72.5 T 13.7 kg, height =
1.7 T 0.1 m) were recruited from the local community. Participants were classified as sedentary if they did not meet
the current physical activity guidelines (at least 30 min of
moderate-intensity activity, on Q5 dIwkj1, in bouts of
at least 10 min; or 20 min of vigorous-intensity activity
on Q3 dIwkj1) for the United Kingdom (7). To ensure
that participants were sedentary, and not too close to the
boundaries—only participants who completed G30 min of
moderate-intensity activity on G3 dIwkj1 were used. All
participants completed a medical history questionnaire and
provided written informed consent in accordance with institutional policy. The ACSM’s (2, p. 302) risk stratification
procedures were undertaken for all participants before commencing exercise testing. For men Q45 yr and women Q55 yr,
written physician consent was obtained. The physical activity readiness questionnaire (PAR-Q [1]) was used to confirm
that all participants were asymptomatic of illness or disease
and free from acute or chronic injury.
Basic anthropometric (height and body mass; Seca, Hamburg, Germany) and health measurements (blood pressure and
total cholesterol) were performed at baseline and after the intervention. After a 10-min period of sitting on a hardback chair
with both feet on the floor and the left arm supported at heart
level, blood pressure was measured using an automatic blood
pressure monitor (UA-767; A&D Company, Ltd, Tokyo, Japan)
following the manufacturer’s guidelines. The air hose of the
arm cuff was aligned with the brachial artery at a point 2–3 cm
above the elbow. The mean blood pressure from two separate
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PERCEPTUALLY REGULATED EXERCISE TRAINING
ticipants throughout the study. Participants had no prior
experience with perceptual scaling before participation.
Each participant received standardized written and verbal
instructions on how to report the ‘‘overall’’ feelings of exertion (4). All physiological outputs were concealed from
the participant.
Statistical analysis. From the recorded treadmill speed
and gradients chosen by the participants, indirect measures
of V̇O2 were calculated using the ACSM (2) metabolic
equation (p. 458). In line with recent research that has examined acute responses to exercise intensity (15), this V̇O2
value was then represented as a percentage of the participants’ V̇O2 above or below the V̇O2 at VT. The VT was
determined using the three-method (ventilatory equivalent,
excess CO2, and modified V slope) procedure (21). The statistical software package SPSS 18.0 for Windows (SPSS, Inc.,
Chicago, IL) was used to analyze the data. For all analyses, > was set at P G 0.05. A series of two-factor (group test) ANOVA, with repeated measures on test, were conducted to assess for interactions on each of the health
(BMI, total cholesterol, and mean arterial pressure) and fitness (V̇O2max, V̇O2 at VT, and HRmax) variables. ANOVA
was also conducted on the FS data to examine if affective
responses remained the same at specific intensities (RPE13
and VT) from baseline to after the intervention.
To examine the acute affective (FS) and physiological
(HR and V̇O2) responses recorded during the PRET sessions, two-factor (session [week 1 vs week 8] time [5, 10,
15, 20, 25, and 30 min]) repeated-measures ANOVA were
conducted. V̇O2 was extrapolated from the speed and gradient of the treadmill during training. Finally, to examine the
variability in responses during training in week 1 and week
8, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and the coefficient
of variation (CV) were calculated for V̇O2, HR, and FS from
individual data at the 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-, 25-, and 30-min time
points.
RESULTS
Two-factor (group test) ANOVA, with repeated measures on test, were conducted for each of the health variables
(BMI, total cholesterol, and mean arterial pressure) and fitness variables (V̇O2max, V̇O2 at VT, and HRmax). Significant
interactions were recorded for BMI (F1,24 = 7.3, P G 0.01,
Gp2 = 0.23), total cholesterol (F1,24 = 10.5, P G 0.01, Gp2 =
0.30), mean arterial pressure (F1,24 = 9.81, P G 0.01, Gp2 =
0.29), V̇O2max (F1,24 = 38.95, P G 0.01, Gp2 = 0.61), and
V̇O2 at VT (F1,24 =35.53, P G 0.01, Gp2 = 0.58). Post hoc
follow-up tests indicated that the interactions were due to
improvements in the training group across time, relative to
the control group. See Table 1 for variable means and SD.
Analysis of the affect data from baseline to after the intervention in the GXT resulted in a significant interaction at
RPE13 (F1,24 = 4.39, P G 0.05, Gp2 = 0.16) and an interaction that approached significance (F1,24 = 3.8, P = 0.06,
Gp2 = 0.14) at VT. Follow-up tests indicated that affect was
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1615
APPLIED SCIENCES
measures (with a minimum of 10 min between each measure)
was calculated. A 30-KL sample of capillary blood collected
from a finger prick was applied to a disposable test strip and
used to measure total cholesterol via a handheld portable
blood analyzer (Cardiochek P.A. & PTS PANELS test strips;
Polymer Technology systems, Inc., Indianapolis, IN). In line
with recommendations (2), all health measurements were
recorded within the same visit and before the V̇O2max test.
Participants had refrained from eating, smoking cigarettes, or
ingesting caffeine preceding their visit to the laboratory. If
participants had two or more risk factors, written physician
consent was obtained before exercise testing. The ethics
committee of the School of Sport and Health Sciences at the
University of Exeter approved the study, where all data were
collected.
Baseline and postintervention measures. All participants performed a graded exercise test (GXT) to allow
for the direct measurement of V̇O2max at the preintervention
and postintervention phases. The Balke–Ware protocol was
followed. The treadmill speed was fixed at 5.3 kmIhj1 with
the gradient commencing at 0% for the first minute and increased by 1%Iminj1 thereafter. All tests were terminated
when participants reported volitional exhaustion. In conjunction with this, a maximum effort was confirmed with a
plateau in oxygen consumption, an HR within T10 bpm of
age-predicted maximum, an RER of 1.15, or an inability to
maintain the required treadmill speed (8). During the final
15 s of each increment of the GXT, the participant estimated
his/her overall RPE. The RPE was recorded by requesting
the participant to point to a numerical value that reflected
how strenuous the exercise felt. In a similar fashion, the affective state was recorded each minute using the Feeling
Scale (FS) (25). Online respiratory gas analysis was used in
each test via a breath-by-breath automatic gas exchange
system (Cortex Metalyser II; Biophysik, Leipzig, Germany).
HR was continuously monitored using a wireless chest strap
telemetry system (Polar Electro T31, Kempele, Finland).
Exercise training intervention. After the initial GXT,
participants were randomly allocated to either a control
(n = 10; male = 3) or training (n = 16; male = 4) group.
Participants in the control group continued their normal
physical activity habits (as they did before the study began)
for 8 wk. Participants allocated to the training group performed 30 min of exercise on three occasions per week for
8 wk. Throughout each session, participants continuously
adjusted speed and gradient to perceptually regulate at an
exercise intensity at the RPE of 13 ‘‘somewhat hard’’ on the
Borg 6–20 RPE Scale. In the first and last exercise sessions,
acute data (affect, HR, treadmill speed, and gradient) were
recorded every 5 min.
All sessions were completed using a motorized treadmill
(PPS 55 sport slat-belt treadmill; Woodway GmbH, Weil am
Rhein, Germany); the display screen of the treadmill (time,
distance, speed, and gradient) was masked from the participant throughout the whole period of investigation. The RPE
scale was mounted on the wall directly in front of the par-
more positive at RPE13 and at VT in the postintervention
GXT (3.1 T .9 to 3.7 T 1.1 and 3.5 T 1.3 to 4.0 T 1.3, respectively) for the training group, whereas it decreased in
the control group (2.8 T 1.1 to 2.6 T 1.4 and 3.5 T 0.9 to 3.2 T
1.6, respectively).
Two-factor (session [week 1, week 8] time [5, 10, 15,
20, 25, and 30 min]) fully repeated-measures ANOVA were
conducted on affect, HR, and V̇O2. A significant time main
effect was recorded for HR (F1.8,28.2 = 7.9, P G 0.01, Gp2 =
0.35), with HR increasing across time during training from
133.8 T 16.5 bpm in the first 5 min to 144.3 T 22.9 bpm in
the last 5 min. A significant session main effect was recorded for V̇O2 (F1,15 = 17.29, P G 0.01, Gp2 = 0.54) with V̇O2
higher in week 8 (23.4 T 1.1 mLIkgj1Iminj1) than in week 1
(19.2 T 1.1 mLIkgj1Iminj1; Table 2). There were no other
significant differences. On average, affect was positive and
stable throughout training (3.4 T 1.2); this was despite one
participant feeling ‘‘slightly bad’’ (j1 on the FS) in the first
10 min of training in week 8 (Table 2). The ICC values were
slightly higher in week 8 (0.98, 0.99, and 0.98) than in week
1 (0.91, 0.98, and 0.87) for HR, V̇O2, and affect, respectively. The CV during training in weeks 1 and 8 were small
for HR and V̇O2 (G6 T 6) but larger for affect (21% T 14%
for week 1 to 12% T 13% for week 8).
DISCUSSION
APPLIED SCIENCES
The aims of the study were to test whether an 8-wk PRET
program (clamped at RPE13) would improve aerobic fitness
and cardiovascular health and examine the acute affective
responses elicited by this method of exercise prescription.
Specifically, it was hypothesized that participants who trained
using RPE13 to regulate their exercise intensity would improve in fitness and cardiovascular health and would maintain
a positive affective response during training. Data support the
hypotheses and demonstrate that both fitness and cardiovascular health improved during the 8-wk training program.
Further, affective responses were more positive during the
postintervention GXT than during the baseline GXT in the
trained participants. Affective responses also remained positive in the majority of participants during the RPE13 training
sessions.
The ACSM Position Stand (3) indicates that there is currently insufficient evidence to support the utility of the RPE
as a ‘‘primary method of exercise prescription’’ (p. 1344).
These data show that when previously sedentary participants
used the RPE scale in a production protocol (to control exercise intensity) and trained at an RPE13, three times a week
for 8 wk, fitness improved by 17%. These results compare
favorably to those of Gormley et al. (23) who identified a
10% and 14% increase in the V̇O2max of healthy young
subjects exercising on the cycle ergometer during a 6-wk
period at moderate (50% V̇O2 reserve) and vigorous (75%
V̇O2 reserve) intensities, respectively. Participants exercised
above their VT (7% T 3%) and, as demonstrated by the ICC
and CV, within-subject data demonstrated a high consistency in the exercise intensities associated with RPE13. The
average exercise intensity produced during training at
RPE13 was 61% T 7% V̇O2max in week 1 and 64% T 7%
V̇O2max in week 8. These intensities would be classified as
on the border between moderate and vigorous exercise intensity (3). Ekkekakis (12) has suggested ‘‘Ithat individuals might be inclined to perform more intense activity when
allowed to set their own intensity’’ (p. 872), which may
possibly be due to the sense of autonomy afforded in selfregulation situations. This comment was made following the
observation of ‘‘moderate’’ exercise intensities (12) associated with RPE values of 9–11 in a review of studies
where participants were permitted to self-select the exercise
intensity.
In this study, the affective response associated with RPE13
was that the exercise intensity felt ‘‘good’’ (FS = 3.4 T 1.2).
Recent evidence indicates that the affective response to acute
exercise can predict future exercise behavior (41) and the argument has been made that exercise prescription should
consider the affective response associated with the exercise
stimulus as well as whether the exercise intensity is safe and
effective (17). The data support that PRET at RPE13 was
perceived as pleasant throughout the two training sessions
when affective responses were assessed in all but one participant. In the one participant who reported negative affect,
this was in the first 10 min of the training session. In the same
participant, affect improved to a feeling of ‘‘good’’ in the
following 20 min of the 30-min session. This increase in affect, during an exercise session has been reported previously,
TABLE 1. Mean T SD values for various parameters of physical health and cardiovascular fitness at baseline and after intervention for control and training groups.
Control
Baseline
a,b
j2
BMI (kgIm )
Total cholesterolb (mmolILj1)
Mean arterial pressureb (mm Hg)
V̇O2maxa,b,c (mLIkgj1Iminj1)
V̇O2 at VTa,b,c (mLIkgj1Iminj1)
HRmax (bpm)
23.2
3.5
88.0
39.3
22.4
184.3
T
T
T
T
T
T
4.9
.9
10
6.5
3.3
12.1
Training
After Intervention
23.6
4.3
89.5
39.2
22.1
181.0
T
T
T
T
T
T
5.3
1.5
9.1
7.0
3.9
16.0
Baseline
27.5
4.8
99.4
31.3
16.7
183.4
T
T
T
T
T
T
3.5
1.3
12.5
5.5
2.5
10.6
After Intervention
27.3
4.2
92.4
36.7
21.4
185.9
T
T
T
T
T
T
3.4
1.0
10.3
6.4
2.4
10.7
a
Significant main effect for group.
Significant interaction.
c
Significant main effect for test.
b
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Official Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine
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TABLE 2. Mean T SD values for acute data collected at 5-min intervals during the first and last training sessions.
Time (min)
First training session
Affect
HRa (bpm)
V̇O2b,c (mLIkgj1Iminj1)
Last training session
Affect
HRa (bpm)
V̇O2b (mLIkgj1Iminj1)
a
b
c
5
10
15
20
25
30
3.7 T 1.1
128.8 T 17.6
18.9 T 4.7
3.3 T 1.1
132.8 T 17.4
19.0 T 4.7
3.4 T 1.2
134.3 T 19.1
19.6 T 4.9
3.4 T 1.1
136.6 T 22.1
19.1 T 4.4
3.3 T 1
141.6 T 20.8
19.5 T 4.4
3.4 T 0.9
140.8 T 21.4
18.8 T 4.6
3.4 T 1.6
138.9 T 15.4
23.2 T 4.5
3.4 T 1.6
140.1 T 17
23.7 T 4.4
3.4 T 1.4
144 T 19.9
23.2 T 4.2
3.3 T 1.4
144.8 T 20.3
23.2 T 4.1
3.4 T 1.2
146.3 T 21.9
23.4 T 4.4
3.4 T 1.1
147.8 T 24
23.6 T 4.6
Significant main effect for time.
Significant main effect for session.
Predicted from the ACSM (2) metabolic equations for estimating energy expenditure (V̇O2 (mLIkgj1 Iminj1 )) during walking and running (p. 458).
group at baseline. The study would have been improved if
stratified randomization had been used to allocate participants to groups. However, although the groups were significantly different at baseline on fitness, this difference was
no longer present after the 8-wk training program, confirming that the PRET at RPE13 had successfully increased fitness. A further limitation of the study is the indirect
measures of V̇O2 during the training session from the
ACSM (2) metabolic equation (p. 458). Given that the perceptual sense and affective response were central to the
study objectives, a reduced sensitivity in the measurement of
V̇O2 was accepted to achieve greater external validity.
In conclusion, this study has shown that previously sedentary individuals are able to use PRET at RPE13 to improve their fitness and that this method of exercise intensity
regulation is perceived to be ‘‘pleasant’’ during training.
During the 8-wk training period, affective and physiological
responses recorded during training indicated that most participants felt ‘‘good’’ and exercised at a moderate to vigorous
exercise intensity. It is not known if this method of training
will lead to better long-term adherence to exercise training,
although theoretically, according to self-determination (9) and
hedonic theory (26), it should. Future research that examines
the long-term effects of PRET on motivational processes,
health, and affect is encouraged. If PRET is shown to support motivational processes, then research could systematically examine its utility across populations (e.g., children,
the elderly, rehabilitation, and training) and compare it to
standard programs to identify which type of training program may be most suitable (e.g., effective, safe, and where
motivation may be an issue, pleasurable) for a specific
population.
The authors thank the volunteers who participated in the study.
No funding was received for this study.
The authors have no conflicts of interest relevant to this study.
The results of the present study do not constitute endorsement by
the American College of Sports Medicine.
REFERENCES
1. American College of Sports Medicine. ACSM’s Guidelines for
Exercise Testing and Prescription. 7th ed. Philadelphia (PA):
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2005. p. 1–366.
PERCEPTUALLY REGULATED EXERCISE TRAINING
2. American College of Sports Medicine. ACSM’s Resource Manual
for Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. 6th ed. Philadelphia (PA): Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2009. p. 1–868.
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercised
Copyright © 2012 by the American College of Sports Medicine. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.
1617
APPLIED SCIENCES
especially in participants with lower affect at the start of exercise (33).
The positive affect experienced during training seems to
have influenced postintervention responses to the GXT. Affect was more positive in the trained participants at RPE13 and
at VT in the postintervention data compared with the baseline
data but did not change significantly in the control participants. Of interest is that the work rates were higher for both
RPE13 and at VT in the postintervention GXT, but despite
this affect also increased significantly. Given that affect typically decreases with increases in exercise intensity (14,24),
this increase in affect suggests a physiological adaptation to
the PRET at RPE13 and a more positive appraisal of the interoceptive cues generated by the exercise stimulus. This is in
line with the proposed interplay of the cognitive factors and
interoceptive cues of the dual-mode theory (14). Previous
research, which has examined the cognitive processes that
underlie affective responses during exercise, would suggest
that changes in confidence, perceived achievement, as well as
a more positive interpretation of the physiological cues, explain this result (34,39). Future research could assess exercise
efficacy and perceived achievement to clarify the cognitive
processes involved.
In addition to the significant interactions for affect and
physiological fitness, the additional health variables were also
affected by the training. However, the interactions recorded
were due to changes in both the control group and training
group data across the 8 wk. Although the improvements in
health observed in the training group would be attributable to
the PRET at RPE13, the decline observed in the control group
could be attributed to the season. The study was conducted in
the United Kingdom in winter. It is possible that the winter
and Christmas season, with shorter days, more inclement
weather, and festive-season food, all potentially contributed to
the health changes (decreases) observed in the control group
data (37).
This decline in the health of the control participants is a
limitation to the study, as is the higher overall fitness of this
APPLIED SCIENCES
3. American College of Sports Medicine. Position Stand: quantity
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