THE RELATIOSNHIP OF DIMENSIONAL RATINGS OF PERCEIVED EXTERTION SCALE TO HEART RATE IN YOUNG CHILDREN

Abstract

649 The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of dimensional ratings of perceived exertion scale (D-RPE) in exercising young children. Sixteen boys and girls (ages 6-8 years) performed two incremental walking test on a motorized treadmill. Each child walked at 3.2 miles/hr until volitional fatigue or voluntarily end the test. The intensity was increased by 2.5% grade every two minutes. Heart rate (HR) was monitored throughout all testing and recorded every two minutes by Polar NV telemetry system. Children used a small mouthpiece and respiratory gas exchange measures were collected via SensorMedics V-Max 29 open spirometry system in a breath by breath mode. A poster of the D-RPE using circles of increasing size was presented to each child at the end of each two minute stage and the child was asked to point to the circle they felt corresponded to their exercise effort level. Two identical exercise sessions were administered on different days and tested for test re-test reliability. The results indicated that the treadmill protocol used yielded valid and reproducible measures of HR, VO2, VCO2 and VEBTPS. HR increased linearly with % grade and reached maximal values in stages 5 through 9 for most children. D-RPE followed a similar pattern but the D-RPE responses appear to be curvilinear. This may have been due to a statistical mortality rate at the upper stages of the testing protocol. The D-RPE scale utilized in this investigation appears to be a reliable and reproducible measure of young children's exercise exertional levels