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Evaluating the effectiveness of quantitative pupillometry in assessing dynamic aerobic training intensity
Junlong Dai1, Xingsheng Wang2, Chenchen Hang2
1Capital University of Physical Education and Sports, Beijing, China.
Scientific Reports
|October 31, 2024
Summary
Assessing exercise load is crucial for preventing sports injuries. This study found that changes in pupillary light reflex (PLR) during aerobic training correlate with perceived exertion and heart rate, suggesting PLR as a potential non-invasive indicator for monitoring internal load.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Exercise Physiology
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Sports injuries are often linked to inadequate exercise load management.
- Accurate assessment of exercise load is vital for injury prevention.
- Pupillary light reflex (PLR) is explored as a novel, non-invasive indicator of physiological response to exercise.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the validity of using changes in pupillary light reflex (PLR) during dynamic aerobic training to evaluate exercise load.
- To determine the correlation between PLR variables, heart rate, and Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE).
- To identify potential indicators for assessing internal exercise load.
Main Methods:
- Dynamic aerobic exercise on a power bicycle for 15 minutes.
- Measurement of PLR before and during exercise, with heart rate (HR) recorded continuously.
- Utilized Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale, Shapiro-Wilk test, Pearson correlation, ROC curve, AUC analysis, and Youden index.
Main Results:
- Significant correlations were found between RPE and PLR variables (MCV, INIT, T75) and HR.
- Maximum Constriction Velocity (MCV) showed strong correlation with RPE (|r| = 0.8309) and HR (r = 0.8170).
- MCV demonstrated high specificity and sensitivity (AUC = 0.8509) as an indicator of internal load, with an optimal cutoff of ≤ 5.07 mm/s for 'Intense' load.
Conclusions:
- Changes in PLR, particularly MCV, are significantly associated with internal exercise load during dynamic aerobic training.
- PLR shows promise as a non-invasive, objective measure for assessing exercise intensity and managing training loads.
- Further development of PLR-based systems could offer a valuable tool for accurate exercise load monitoring in athletes.
