Validity of a pictorial perceived exertion scale for effort estimation and effort production during stepping exercise in adolescent children

This is the author's PDF version of an article published in European Physical Education Review ©2002. The definitive version is available at http://epe.sagepub.com.Recent developments in the study of paediatric effort perception have continued to emphasise the importance of child-specific rating scales. The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of an illustrated 1 – 10 perceived exertion scale; the Pictorial Children’s Effort Rating Table (PCERT). 4 class groups comprising 104 children; 27 boys and 29 girls, aged 12.1±0.3 years and 26 boys, 22 girls, aged 15.3±0.2 years were selected from two schools and participated in the initial development of the PCERT. Subsequently, 48 of these children, 12 boys and 12 girls from each age group were randomly selected to participate in the PCERT validation study. Exercise trials were divided into 2 phases and took place 7 to 10 days apart. During phase 1, children completed 5 x 3-minute incremental stepping exercise bouts interspersed with 2-minute recovery periods. Heart rate (HR) and ratings of exertion were recorded during the final 15 s of each exercise bout. In phase 2 the children were asked to regulate their exercising effort during 4 x 4-minute bouts of stepping so that it matched randomly prescribed PCERT levels (3, 5, 7 and 9). Analysis of data from Phase 1 yielded significant (P<0.01) relationships between perceived and objective (HR) effort measures for girls. In addition, the main effects of exercise intensity on perceived exertion and HR were significant (P<0.01); perceived exertion increased as exercise intensity increased and this was reflected in simultaneous significant rises in HR. During phase 2, HR and estimated power output (POapprox) produced at each of the four prescribed effort levels were significantly different (P<0.01). The children in this study were able to discriminate between 4 different exercise intensities and regulate their exercise intensity according to 4 prescribed levels of perceived exertion. In seeking to contribute towards children’s recommended physical activity levels and helping them understand how to self-regulate their activity, the application of the PCERT within the context of physical education is a desirable direction for future research

Combining perceptual regulation and exergaming for exercise prescription in low-active adults with and without cognitive impairment

Background:Exercise adherence in already low-active older adults with and without mild cognitive impairment (MCI) remains low. Perceptual regulation and exergaming may facilitate future exercise behaviour by improving the affective experience, however evidence that this population can perceptually regulate is lacking. To explore this, we investigated 1) perceptual regulation of exercise intensity during either exergaming or regular ergometer cycling and 2) explored affective responses. Methods:Thirty-two low active older adults (73.9 ± 7.3 years, n = 16, 8 females) with or without MCI (70.9 ± 5.5 years, n = 16, 11 females) participated in a sub-maximal fitness assessment to determine ventilatory threshold (VT) and two experimental sessions (counterbalanced: exergaming or regular ergometer cycling). Experimental sessions consisted 21-min of continuous cycling with 7-min at each: RPE 9, 11 and 13. Oxygen consumption (VO2), heart rate (HR), and affect (Feeling Scale) were obtained throughout the exercise. Results:VO2 (p < 0.01) and HR (p < 0.01) increased linearly with RPE, but were not significantly different between exercise modes or cognitive groups. At RPE 13, participants worked above VT in both modes (exergaming: 115.7 ± 27.3; non-exergaming 114.1 ± 24.3 VO2 (%VT)). Regardless of cognitive group, affect declined significantly as RPE increased (p < 0.01). However on average, affect remained pleasant throughout and did not differ between exercise modes or cognitive groups. Conclusions:These results suggest low-active older adults can perceptually regulate exercise intensity, regardless of cognition or mode. At RPE 13, participants regulated above VT, at an intensity that improves cardiorespiratory fitness long-term, and affect remained positive in the majority of participants, which may support long-term physical activity adherence.Liam McAuliffe, Gaynor C. Parfitt, Roger G. Eston, Caitlin Gray, Hannah A. D. Keage and Ashleigh E. Smit

Prediction and Measurement of Frame Size in Young Adult Males.

The assessment of frame size is a problematic and ambiguous area. The purpose of this study was to assess the level of agreement between various techniques of assessing frame size in a group of 27 healthy and active men aged 18-24 years, and also to assess which anthropometric variables were best associated with a measure of actual frame size (AFS) which is proposed in this study. Actual frame size was measured by the summation of a series of bone breadths, lengths and depths on a sub-sample of 17 men. The results of the study revealed substantial discordance between methods of assessing frame size. The variables which correlated most highly with AFS (P< 0.01) were body mass, ankle breadth, hand length and chest breadth, respectively. These variables were also positively correlated (P<0.01) with fat-free mass (FFM), with no significant correlation with fat mass in either case. Of the various documented methods used to assess frame size, the 'HAT' technique, which incorporates biacromial and bitrochanteric breadths, was more highly correlated with AFS than both elbow breadth (currently used in height-weight insurance tables) and the height/wrist circumference index. The latter measure was not highly correlated with AFS, body mass and FFM in this study. It was concluded that ankle breadth and hand length may be better predictors of frame size in young men than other bone dimensions. In addition, the results of this preliminary investigation have substantiated the potential viability of an AFS model. Future research using this technique is recommended to determine true indicators of frame size in a larger and more heterogeneous population

Prediction and Measurement of Frame Size in Young Adult Males

The assessment of frame size is a problematic and ambiguous area. The purpose of this study was to assess the level of agreement between various techniques of assessing frame size in a group of 27 healthy and active men aged 18-24 years, and also to assess which anthropometric variables were best associated with a measure of actual frame size (AFS) which is proposed in this study. Actual frame size was measured by the summation of a series of bone breadths, lengths and depths on a sub-sample of 17 men. The results of the study revealed substantial discordance between methods of assessing frame size. The variables which correlated most highly with AFS (P < 0.01) were body mass, ankle breadth, hand length and chest breadth, respectively. These variables were also positively correlated (P < 0.01) with fat-free mass (FFM), with no significant correlation with fat mass in either case. Of the various documented methods used to assess frame size, the 'HAT' technique, which incorporates biacromial and bitrochanteric breadths, was more highly correlated with AFS than both elbow breadth (currently used in height-weight insurance tables) and the height/wrist circumference index. The latter measure was not highly correlated with AFS, body mass and FFM in this study. It was concluded that ankle breadth and hand length may be better predictors of frame size in young men than other bone dimensions. In addition, the results of this preliminary investigation have substantiated the potential viability of an AFS model. Future research using this technique is recommended to determine true indicators of frame size in a larger and more heterogeneous population