Encouragement during maximal exercise testing of type A and type B scorers

The influence of verbal encouragement during assessment of maximal oxygen consumption of subjects scoring as Type A and Type B on the Jenkins Activity Survey, Form T was examined. Fourteen Type A and 12 Type B scorers performed two randomly assigned tests on a motor-driven treadmill with and without verbal encouragement during testing. Treadmill time, oxygen consumption (VO2), heart rate, and respiratory exchange ratio at exhaustion were examined. Verbal encouragement led to significantly greater treadmill time, VO2, and respiratory exchange ratio for Type B scorers when compared with the non-encouragement trial. Treadmill time, VO2, heart rate, and respiratory exchange ratio at exhaustion were not different between treatments for the Type A scorers. Type A scorers ran significantly longer without encouragement than Type B scorers; however, when encouragement was provided, treadmill time for Type A and Type B scorers did not differ significantly. The results suggest that attainment of maximal effort is not dependent on verbal encouragement for Type A scorers, whereas verbal encouragement is necessary to assure attainment of maximal physiologic effort for those individuals scoring as Type B.