Time perception, pacing and exercise intensity: maximal exercise distorts the perception of time

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Sports Science
• Perception Psychology

Background:

• Limited research exists on exercise's impact on time perception.
• Accurate time perception is crucial for athletic pacing and performance.
• Understanding time perception during exercise can inform training and competition strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of varying exercise intensities on subjective time perception.
• To determine if exercise duration or intensity has a greater impact on time estimation.
• To explore the relationship between perceived exertion and time distortion during physical activity.

Main Methods:

• 12 recreationally active adults completed self-paced Wingate and rowing ergometer trials.
• Exercise conditions included light (RPE 11), heavy (RPE 15), and maximal (RPE 20) exertion.
• Participants verbally estimated elapsed time at 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of chronological duration.

Main Results:

• Maximal exertion (RPE 20) led to significantly shorter time perception at later intervals (75% and 100%) for both Wingate and rowing tasks.
• Time perception was not significantly different at earlier intervals (25% and 50%) across exertion levels.
• A trend suggested shorter perceived time at 50% for maximal exertion during rowing.

Conclusions:

• Exercise intensity demonstrably distorts subjective time perception, particularly at maximal levels.
• Maximal exercise appears to accelerate the perception of time passage.
• External chronological time feedback may be vital for athletes during high-intensity efforts and competitions.