Effect of carbohydrate substrate availability on ratings of perceived exertion during prolonged exercise of moderate intensity

This investigation examined the effect of carbohydrate substrate availability on ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) during cycling at moderate intensity to exhaustion and the relation between submaximal endurance performance and RPE obtained following 2 hr. of cycling at moderate intensity. Seven male cyclists performed two exercise trials at power output corresponding to 70% of their peak oxygen uptake until exhaustion. Subjects ingested either a 6% glucose/sucrose solution at the rate of 0.6 g.kg-1 (Body Weight).hr.-1 or an equal volume of artificially flavored placebo every 20 min. throughout the exercise trials. RPE for the legs, chest, and over-all body, and oxygen consumption, expired ventilation, carbohydrate oxidation rate, and blood concentrations of glucose, glycerol, and lactate were measured every 20 min. throughout exercise and at exercise termination. Statistical analysis of these dependent variables indicates that (1) an exercise-induced decrease in blood-borne carbohydrate substrate intensifies leg and over-all perceptions of exertion during the later stages of prolonged cycling at 70% VO2peak. (2) Factors other than availability of blood-borne carbohydrate substrate may influence perceptual intensity at exhaustion. (3) Ratings of perceived exertion for the legs and over-all body obtained after 2 hr. of cycling at moderate intensity may be useful in predicting submaximal endurance performance.