Abstract
ABSTRACT: van der Zwaard, S, Hooft Graafland, F, van Middelkoop, C, and Lintmeijer, LL. Validity and reliability of facial rating of perceived exertion scales for training load monitoring. J Strength Cond Res 37(5): e317-e324, 2023-Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) is often used by coaches and athletes to indicate exercise intensity, which facilitates training load monitoring and prescription. Although RPE is typically measured using the Borg's category-ratio 10-point scale (CR10), digital sports platforms have recently started to incorporate facial RPE scales, which potentially have a better user experience. The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of a 5-point facial RPE scale (FCR5) and a 10-point facial RPE scale (FCR10), using the CR10 as a golden standard and to assess their use for training load monitoring. Forty-nine subjects were grouped into 17 untrained (UT), 19 recreationally trained (RT), and 13 trained (T) individuals Subjects completed 9 randomly ordered home-based workout sessions (3 intensities × 3 RPE scales) on the Fitchannel.com platform. Heart rate was monitored throughout the workouts. Subjects performed 3 additional workouts to assess reliability. Validity and reliability of both facial RPE scales were low in UT subjects (intraclass correlation [ICC] ≤ 0.44, p ≤ 0.06 and ICC ≤ 0.43, p ≥ 0.09). In RT and T subjects, validity was moderate for FCR5 (ICC ≥ 0.72, p < 0.001) and good for FCR10 (ICC ≥ 0.80, p < 0.001). Reliability for these groups was rather poor for FCR5 (ICC = 0.51, p = 0.006) and moderate for FCR10 (ICC = 0.74, p < 0.001), but it was excellent for CR10 (ICC = 0.92, p < 0.001). In RT and T subjects, session RPE scores were also strongly related to Edward's training impulse scores ( r ≥ 0.70, p < 0.001). User experience was best supported by the FCR10 scale. In conclusion, researchers, coaches, strength and conditioning professionals, and digital sports platforms are encouraged to incorporate the valid and reliable FCR10 and not FCR5 to assess perceived exertion and internal training load of recreationally trained and trained individuals.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | e317-e324 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research |
| Volume | 37 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| Early online date | 22 Mar 2023 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - May 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
Funding
The authors thank all individuals who participated in the study and Aart-Jan van Triest and Auke Damstra for their contribution to set up this project. Moreover, the authors are grateful for the Human Performance Lab at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Sportlab at the Hague University of Applied Sciences, Sports Medical Advice Center at the Sportstad Heerenveen, the Gelderland Valley Hospital in Ede, ProCare, and Innovation Lab Thialf for their measurement facilities and assistance with the data collection. S. van der Zwaard and L.L. Lintmeijer conceived and designed the work. S. van der Zwaard, F. Hooft Graafland, C. van Middelkoop and L.L. Lintmeijer acquired the data, S. van der Zwaard and L.L. Lintmeijer analyzed and interpreted the data. S. van der Zwaard and L.L. Lintmeijer wrote the manuscript. All authors read and revised the manuscript and approved the final version of the manuscript for publication. This work was supported by ZonMw under grant number 538002002. The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. This study was undertaken while FHG and CM were affiliated to the company Fitchannel.com . However, all views expressed in this manuscript are entirely those of the authors, and not any of the institutions or companies to which they are or were affiliated. The remaining authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| ZonMw | 538002002 |