title: The validity of regulating blood lactate concentration during running by ratings of perceived exertion.
abstract: We examined whether ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) observed during an incremental (response) protocol could be used to produce target blood [HLa] of 2.5 mM and 4.0 mM during a 30-min treadmill run at a constant RPE. RPE (15.3, 17.6, 19.1), oxygen uptake (VO2) (3.31, 3.96, 4.00 l.min-1), velocity (V) (198, 218, 223 m.min-1), and heart rate (HR) (179, 185, 190 bpm) at blood [HLa] of 2.5 mM and 4.0 mM, and peak were determined for nine subjects (5 males, 4 females) during incremental exercise. Subjects then completed two 30-min runs at the RPE corresponding to blood [HLa] of 2.5 mM (RPE 2.5 mM) and 4.0 mM (RPE 4.0 mM) measured during the incremental protocol. For both 30-min runs, VO2 was not different from VO2 corresponding to either 2.5 or 4.0 mM blood [HLa] during the incremental test. During the 30-min run at RPE 2.5 mM: (a) only during minutes 25-30 was the blood [HLa] significantly different than 2.5 mM (3.2 +/- 0.6 mM, P < 0.05), (b) for the first 20 min HR was significantly lower than the HR at 2.5 mM during the incremental protocol, and (c) V did not differ from V at 2.5 mM during the incremental protocol. During the 30-min run at RPE 4.0 mM: (a) blood [HLa] was not significantly different from 4.0 mM, (b) HR at every time point was significantly lower than HR 4.0 mM during the incremental protocol, and (c) V was decreased over time by an average of 24.6 m.min-1 (P < 0.05). Because RPE from the response protocol was able to produce a blood [HLa] close to the criterion value during each 30-min run, we conclude that RPE is a valid tool for prescribing exercise intensities corresponding to blood [HLa] of 2.5 mM and 4.0 mM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Services, Curry School of Education, University of Virginia, Charlottesville 22903, USA.
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Stoudemire
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wideman
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Pass
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: McGinnes
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Gaesser
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weltman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007773:Lactates / Q000097:blood*; D019344:Lactic Acid; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D007773:Lactates; D019344:Lactic Acid