Foster, Carl

This study examined the effects of different types of masks (no mask, surgical mask (SM), and N95-mask) on physiological and perceptual responses during 30-min of self-paced cycle ergometer exercise. This study was a prospective randomly assigned experimental design. Outcomes included workload (Watts), oxygen saturation (SpO2), end-tidal carbon dioxide (PetCO2), heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and rating of perceived dyspnea (RPD). Volunteers (54–83 years (n = 19)) completed two familiarization sessions and three testing sessions on an air braked cycle ergometer. No significant difference was found for condition x time for any of the dependent variables. RPE, RPD, and PetCO2 were significantly higher with an N95-mask vs. no mask (NM) ((p = 0.012), (p = 0.002), (p < 0.001)). HR was significantly higher with the SM compared to the NM condition (p = 0.027) (NM 107.18 ± 9.96) (SM 112.34 ± 10.28), but no significant difference was found when comparing the SM to the N95 condition or when comparing the N95condition to the NM condition. Watts increased across time in each condition (p = 0.003). Initially RR increased during the first 3 min of exercise (p < 0.001) with an overall gradual increase noted across time regardless of mask condition (p < 0.001). SpO2 significantly decreased across time but remained within normal limits (>95%). No significant difference was found in Watts, RR, or SpO2 regardless of mask condition. Overall, the N95mask was associated with increased RPE, RPD, and PetCO2 levels. This suggests trapping of CO2 inside the mask leading to increased RPE and RPD.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether session rating of perceived exertion-derived training load (sRPE-TL) correlates with GPS-derived measures of external load in National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division I female soccer athletes. Methods: Twenty-one NCAA Division 1 collegiate women’s soccer athletes (11 starters, 10 non-starters; 65.1 ± 7.2 kg, 168.4 ± 7.9 cm, 20.3 ± 1.5 yrs) volunteered to take part in this study. Data for this study were collected over the course of 16 weeks during the 2018 NCAA women’s soccer season. External load and heart rate (HR) data were collected during each training session and match during the season. At least 30 min after the end of an activity (e.g., match or practice), athletes were prompted to complete a questionnaire reporting their perceived exertion for the session. sRPE-TL was calculated at the end of the season by multiplying perceived exertion by the respective session duration. Results: sRPE-TL was very strongly correlated with total distance, distance covered in velocity zones 1–3, the number of accelerations in zones 4 and 5, total PlayerLoad™, and PlayerLoad™. For internal load, sRPE-TL correlated very strongly (0.70 ≤ |r| < 0.90) with Edward’s and Bannister’s TRIMP and strongly (0.50 ≤ |r| < 0.70) with duration spent in in heart rate zones 5 and 6 (80–90% and 90–100% max HR, respectively) while correlations with maximum HR (bpm), mean HR (bpm), and mean HR (%) and sRPE-TL were moderate (0.30 ≤ |r| < 0.50). Conclusions: In NCAA Division I women soccer, sRPE-TL is strongly associated with external measures of workload. These relationships were stronger during match play, with acceleration load and total distance exhibiting the strongest relationship with sRPE-TL.

Walking tests, such as the 6-min walk test (6MWT), are popular methods of estimating peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) in clinical populations. However, the strength of the distance vs. VO2peak relationship is not strong, and there are no equations for estimating ventilatory threshold (VT), which is important for training prescription and prognosis. Since the 6MWT is often limited by walking mechanics, prediction equations that include simple additional predictors, such as the terminal rating of perceived exertion (RPE), hold the potential for improving the prediction of VO2max and VT. Therefore, this study was designed to develop equations for predicting VO2peak and VT from performance during the 6MWT, on the basis of walking performance and terminal RPE. Clinically stable patients in a cardiac rehabilitation program (N = 63) performed the 6MWT according to the American Thoracic Society guidelines. At the end of each walk, the subject provided their terminal RPE on a 6–20 Borg scale. Each patient also performed a maximal incremental treadmill test with respiratory gas exchange to measure VO2peak and VT. There was a good correlation between VO2peak and 6MWT distance (r = 0.80) which was improved by adding the terminal RPE in a multiple regression formula (6MWT + RPE, R2 = 0.71, standard error of estimate, SEE = 1.3 Metabolic Equivalents (METs). The VT was also well correlated with walking performance, 6MWT distance (r = 0.80), and was improved by the addition of terminal RPE (6MWT + RPE, R2 = 0.69, SEE = 0.95 METs). The addition of terminal RPE to 6MWT distance improved the prediction of maximal METs and METs at VT, which may have practical applications for exercise prescription.

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the acute effects of one versus two doses of a multi-ingredient pre-workout supplement on energy expenditure during moderate-intensity treadmill running. In addition, our second aim was to investigate the responses of associated metabolic factors (i.e., substrate utilization, measures of gas exchange), perceived exertion, and resting cardiovascular variables with one and two doses of the pre-workout supplement. Twelve females (mean ± SD: age = 25.3 ± 9.4 years; body mass = 61.2 ± 6.8 kg) completed three bouts of 30 min of treadmill running at 90% of their ventilatory threshold on separate days after consuming one dose of the pre-workout supplement (1-dose), two doses (2-dose), and a placebo. There were no differences among conditions for energy expenditure, fat or carbohydrate oxidation, respiratory exchange ratio, oxygen consumption, or heart rate across exercise time. The two-dose group, however, had lower (p = 0.036) ratings of perceived exertion (11.8 ± 1.7) than the one-dose (12.6 ± 1.7) and the placebo (12.3 ± 1.2) at the 20-min time point of exercise as well as greater resting systolic blood pressure (110 ± 10 mmHg) compared to the one-dose (106 ± 10 mmHg) and the placebo (104 ± 10 mmHg) conditions. Both the one-dose and two-dose conditions had greater increases in diastolic blood pressure compared to the placebo. Thus, our findings indicated that the present pre-workout supplement had no performance-enhancing benefits related to energy metabolism but did attenuate feelings of exertion.