Application of Ratings of Perceived Exertion and Physiological Responses to Maximal Effort in Rhythmic Gymnasts.

The present study examined ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) in relation to physiological responses during an incremental exercise test in elite and non-elite rhythmic gymnasts in order to determine the proper training intensity. Thirty-nine gymnasts were divided into two groups (elite: n=15, non-elite: n=24) and performed an incremental exercise test on a cycle-ergometer up to exhaustion in order to determine RPE (scale 6-to-20), oxygen uptake, heart rate and lactate responses. Elite-athletes presented higher RPE and VO_2max values at a maximal effort (p<0.001) while heart rate and lactate values between elite and non-elite gymnasts were similar. In addition, when examining the same relative exercise intensity, the RPE response was higher in elite-athletes than non-elite athletes and a significant correlation was obtained between RPE and athletic performance (r=0.83, p<0.01), based on total performance rank in national competitions. These results suggest that RPE appears to be an applicable measure of exercise intensity mostly in highly trained rhythmic gymnasts and may provide accurate information to coaches for better training regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]