Ratings of perceived exertion during leg vs. combined arm-and-leg cycle ergometry

This study investigated ratings of perceived exertion for leg (L) vs. combined arm-and-leg (A+L) exercise. Eight healthy males performed two progressive incremental exercise tests to exhaustion on an air-braked cycle ergometer (Schwinn Air-Dyne). Each subject performed L and A+L exercise tests on different days using identical protocols, and a counter-balanced design was employed. The exercise test began at 98.0 watts for two minutes and increased by 49.0 watts every two minutes until exhaustion. Ratings of perceived exertion were recorded during the last fifteen seconds of each workrate. Heart rate, VO₂, and V_E were also measured throughout the test. A two-way repeated measures ANOVA (condition*level), and a Tukey post hoc test revealed significant difference (P < .05) in overall ratings of perceived exertion for L vs. A+L exercise at 147, 196, and 245 watts. No differences were observed between HR, VO₂, and V_E at any power output. The results indicate that at moderately high workloads, ratings of perceived exertion are lower for combined A+L vs. L exercise.