Differences in Rate of Perceived Exertion and Workload Intensity in Males and Females during Submaximal Arm and Leg...

Arm ergometry (AE) is necessitated for individuals unable to perform leg ergometry (LE) exercise. This study explored gender differences in RPE and workload (WL) during AE and LE at submaximal target heart rates (THR).

35 healthy college-aged individuals were randomly allocated to begin exercise on either AE or LE. Participants exercised on both modes with increasing WL to achieve submaximal THRs of 110, 120, 130, 140 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). Factorial ANOVAs tested for differences in RPE and WL.

No significant differences were found in RPE between genders, as well as between arm and leg exercise (p > 0.001). For WL, a significant main effect was found for mode with LE greater than AE (p < 0.001), and gender, with males greater than females (p < 0.001). A significant interaction effect was also found for HR and mode, with a greater increase in WL during LE compared to AE in both genders (p = 0.001).

Exercise specialists typically prescribe exercise based on a chosen THR. The results of this study provide meaningful data on mean RPE and WL responses that a given THR elicits for ergometry. The finding of no differences in RPE between AE and LE informs the clinician that at any given submaximal THR, similar RPE scores can be expected during AE and LE. Further research is warranted to investigate differences in wider populations.