Oxygen uptake and heart rate responses to 4 weeks of RPE-guided handcycle training

<p><strong>Purpose:</strong> To investigate the efficacy of using Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE) to prescribe and regulate a 4-week handcycle training intervention.</p> <p><strong>Methods: </strong>Thirty active adults, untrained in upper body endurance exercise, were divided into three groups to complete a 4-week intervention: i) RPE-guided training (n = 10; 2 female), ii) power output (PO)-guided (n = 10; 2 female) training, or iii) non-training control (n = 10; 4 female). Training groups performed three sessions of handcycling each week. Oxygen uptake (V̇O2), heart rate (HR), and Feeling Scale (FS) rating were collected during training sessions. RPE-guided training was performed at RPE 13. PO-guided training was matched for percentage of peak PO per session, based upon that achieved by the RPE-guided training group.</p> <p><strong>Results:</strong> There were no differences in percentage of peak V̇O2 (66 ± 13% vs 61 ± 9%, p = 0.22), peak HR (75 ± 8% vs 71 ± 6%, p = 0.11) or FS rating (1.2 ± 1.9 vs 0.8 ± 1.6, p = 0.48) between RPE- and PO-guided training, respectively. The average coefficient of variation in percentage of peak HR between consecutive training sessions was 2.8% during RPE-guided training, and 3.4% during PO-guided training. </p> <p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> Moderate-vigorous intensity handcycling exercise can be prescribed effectively using RPE across a chronic training intervention, suggesting utility for practitioners in a variety of rehabilitation settings.</p>