Physiological responses to self-paced exercise: effort-matched comparisons across running and rowing modalities

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Sports Science
• Human Performance

Background:

• Self-pacing allows individuals to regulate exercise intensity based on perceived exertion.
• Understanding physiological responses across different exercise modalities at matched perceived exertion is crucial for training prescription.
• Previous research has not consistently compared physiological demands of different exercise modes when subjective effort is standardized.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if physiological responses differ between treadmill running and rowing when the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) is matched.
• To determine if relative exercise intensity varies across modalities at a standardized RPE.
• To compare cardiovascular and metabolic responses during self-paced exercise in different environments.

Main Methods:

• Ten recreationally active males underwent baseline peak oxygen uptake (.VO2) testing.
• Participants completed two 20-minute exercise sessions at RPE 15 (Hard), one on a treadmill and one on a rowing ergometer.
• Physiological data including .VO2, heart rate, and blood lactate were collected during both exercise bouts.

Main Results:

• Mean relative work intensity, measured as a percentage of baseline peak .VO2, was significantly higher during treadmill running (86.1%) compared to rowing (83.7%).
• Higher mean heart rates (174.7 vs. 165.5 bpm) and greater increases in blood lactate (4.0 vs. 3.3 mmol/L) were observed during running versus rowing.
• Strong positive correlations were found between modalities for baseline peak .VO2, mean .VO2 during trials, and mean heart rate during trials.

Conclusions:

• Motorized treadmill running results in a higher relative exercise intensity and greater physiological strain than rowing at the same RPE.
• Participants can achieve higher work outputs on a treadmill compared to a rowing ergometer for an equivalent perceived effort.
• These findings suggest modality-specific considerations are necessary when prescribing exercise to achieve specific training outcomes based on perceived exertion.