title: Conscious distance monitoring and perceived exertion in light-deprived cycling time trial.
abstract: The monitoring of distance is crucial to calculate the metabolic requirement and the ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) for a given exercise bout. Visual cues provide valuable information for distance estimation, navigation and orientation. The present study investigated if light deprivation may affect the conscious monitoring of distance, RPE and associative thoughts to exercise (ATE) during a 20-km cycling time trial (TT20km). Eleven male, endurance cyclists performed two TT20km in illuminated-control and light-deprived laboratory. They were asked to self-report RPE and ATE when they perceived they had completed each 2km.
  
  
  
  The light deprivation resulted in elongated perceived distance at each actual 2km, rather than in illuminated-control trial (P<0.05). Although there was no difference in RPE when it was plotted as a function of the perceived distance, RPE was lowered in light-deprived environment when it was plotted as a function of the actual distance (P<0.05). Additionally, ATE was lowered during TT20km in light deprivation (P<0.01); however, pacing and performance were unaffected in light-deprived environment.
  
  
  
  Results suggest that pacing and performance were regulated through a system which was unaffected in light-deprived environment, despite the altered conscious distance monitoring and perceptive responses.
authors.affiliation: Exercise Psychophysiology Research Group, School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, Brazil; School of Physical Education and Sport, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabiano A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
authors.affiliation: Exercise Psychophysiology Research Group, School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, Brazil; Research Center for Performance and Health, Physical Education Program, Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tony M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Exercise Psychophysiology Research Group, School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, Brazil; Research Center for Performance and Health, Physical Education Program, Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil. Electronic address: piresfo@usp.br.
authors.forename: Flávio O
authors.initials: FO
authors.lastname: Pires
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001642:Bicycling / Q000502:physiology*; D003243:Consciousness / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008027:Light; D008297:Male; D010465:Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*; D012683:Sensory Deprivation / Q000502:physiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Exercise regulation; Internal clock; Nighttime cycling; Pacing strategy