Authors: Danny M Pincivero Alan J Coelho Robert M Campy
Publish Date: 2003/01/31
Volume: 89, Issue: 2, Pages: 150-156
Abstract
The objectives of the present study were to 1 examine perceived exertion across different target voluntarycontraction intensities 2 compare perceived exertion ratings with actual target intensities and 3 compare perceived exertion ratings between males and females Subjects for this study included 30 healthy collegeaged male n=15 and female n=15 volunteers All subjects were free of orthopedic cardiopulmonary systemic and neurological disease Subjects were evaluated for their onerepetition maximum 1RM during inertial knee extension exercise All subjects then completed in a random order two submaximal inertial contractions at 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 and 90 of their 1RM Perceived exertion was measured by asking subjects to provide a number that corresponded to the feelings in their quadriceps after completion of the two repetitions by viewing a modified categoryratio CR10 scale The results showed that males lifted a significantly greater absolute P005 and relative P005 amount of mass than females allometricmodeled strength values also demonstrated significant sex differences The results revealed a significant intensity main effect P0001 but no significant gender main effect P=097 nor intensitybygender interactions P=050 for the perceived exertion responses The findings demonstrated that perceived exertion was significantly P005 lower than the specific expected values on the CR10 scale from 10 to 60 of 1RM but was not different from 70 to 90 1RM The results revealed that the increase in perceived exertion was fit to both linear and quadratic trends and that the exponent of the power function was found to be 1437 SD 022 for the males and 1497 0295 for the females The major findings demonstrate that although males were able to lift more absolute and relative mass than females the perceptual response to relative load was similar between genders The increase in perceived exertion as a function of relative load showed a strong linear trend however enhanced perceptual sensitivity at high contraction intensities was evident from the positively accelerating power function
Keywords: