title: Perception of muscular effort in multiple sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Resistance exercise is effective in improving muscle strength and preventing muscle weakness in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Control of resistance training intensity based on perceived muscular effort is applicable to healthy individuals, yet there is no evidence of its utility for MS patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare perception of muscular effort in MS patients to healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Based on their perception of muscular effort, twenty-five MS patients and twenty-eight controls adjusted static elbow extension tasks according to five levels on the OMNI-Resistance Exercise Scale. Elbow extension strength and muscle activity were measured via load cell dynamometer and surface electromyography (EMG) and related to each participant's maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) strength and muscle activity. Two-way analysis of variance was used to evaluate statistical significance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no statistically significant differences between MS patients and healthy controls, they produced similar relative torque values (F1 = 0.196; p > 0.05) and extensor muscle activities (F(2,617) = 1.556; p > 0.05) across all effort levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No differences were found in the perception of muscular effort in MS patients and the age-matched control group. Future studies should explore, whether rating of perceived exertion is an effective instrument to control resistance training intensity in MS patients.
authors.affiliation: Day Care Center for Multiple Sclerosis, Caritas Socialis, Vienna, Austria. anita.kiselka@cs.or.at
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kiselka
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Greisberger
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D010465:Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D055070:Resistance Training / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome