Relationship between Oxygen Uptake, Heart Rate, and Perceived Effort in an Aquatic Incremental Test in Older Women.

Luana Siqueira Andrade,Cristine Lima Alberton,Ana Carolina Kanitz,Gustavo Zaccaria Schaun,Stephanie Santana Pinto,Mariana Silva Häfele

doi:10.3390/ijerph17228324

Abstract

Different parameters can be used to control the intensity of aerobic exercises, a choice that should consider the population and exercise environment targeted. Therefore, our study aimed to verify the relationship between oxygen uptake (VO2), heart rate (HR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and cadence during an aquatic incremental test in older women. Nine older women (64.3 ± 4.4 years) engaged in a water-based aerobic training performed an aquatic incremental test using the stationary running exercise (cadence increases of 15 b·min−1 every 2 min) until participants’ volitional exhaustion. VO2, HR, and RPE data were measured, and the percentage of peak VO2 (%VO2peak) and percentage of maximal HR (%HRmax) were calculated. Linear and polynomial regression analyses were performed (α = 0.05). Polynomial regressions revealed the best adjustments for all analyses. Data showed a significant relationship (p < 0.001) between %VO2peak and %HRmax (r = 0.921), %VO2peak and RPE (r = 0.870), and %HRmax and RPE (r = 0.878). Likewise, significant relationships between cadence (p < 0.001) and %VO2peak (r = 0.873), %HRmax (r = 0.874), and RPE (r = 0.910) were also observed. In summary, the physiological, subjective, and mechanical variables investigated were highly associated during an aquatic incremental test to exhaustion in older women. Therefore, these different parameters can be employed to adequately prescribe water-based programs according to preference and availability.

Highlights

Advancing age is associated with a decline in cardiorespiratory fitness [1,2,3], and regular aerobic exercise practice is a cornerstone intervention to mitigate this effect in older individuals [4,5].To maximize potential benefits arising from aerobic training, correct exercise intensity prescription is a crucial factor
%HRmax, rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and CAD reference values were identified for different training zones based on the %VO2peak, which may be a valuable tool for the prescription of water-based exercise sessions in older women, who are the main practitioners of this modality
VO2 is considered the gold standard for controlling exercise intensity during aerobic training programs, its use outside the laboratory is limited

Summary

Introduction

Advancing age is associated with a decline in cardiorespiratory fitness [1,2,3], and regular aerobic exercise practice is a cornerstone intervention to mitigate this effect in older individuals [4,5]. To maximize potential benefits arising from aerobic training, correct exercise intensity prescription is a crucial factor. This can be achieved by using both objective (i.e., physiological or mechanical) or subjective (i.e., rating of perceived exertion—RPE) parameters of intensity control [6,7,8]; their choice should take into consideration the exercise modality and the population at hand. The aquatic environment favors the practice of physical exercises, since water resistance is multidirectional and promotes an overload against movements performed in all directions [9]. Public Health 2020, 17, 8324; doi:10.3390/ijerph17228324 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph

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