Author ORCID Identifier
Date Available
5-9-2026
Year of Publication
2024
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Document Type
Doctoral Dissertation
College
Education
Department/School/Program
Exercise Science
First Advisor
Dr. Haley C. Bergstrom
Abstract
Several theories exist to explain the interaction of sensory afferent feedback and efferent feedforward signals on the generation of a rating of perceived exertion (RPE) which influence endurance exercise pacing and performance. Within these theories, exists the premise that the expected duration of exercise plays a role within the generation of an individual’s RPE and their endurance performance. Previous work has demonstrated equivocal findings of this influence, while other research has suggested potential differences between males and females. However, an RPE-clamp model, where the external workload is modulated to maintain a constant perceptual intensity, has not previously been used to investigate the influence of expected exercise duration on RPE and endurance performance. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the sex-specific influence of expected exercise duration on the physiological, neuromuscular, and affective responses to RPE-clamp exercise anchored to RPE 15 with participants being deceived into believing the RPE-clamp exercise would last for 20-, 30-, or 40-min, but all trials were 30-min. These data were broken up into three studies with the following aims: Study 1) determine the sex-specific influence of expected duration of exercise on the time-course of changes in volume of oxygen consumption (V̇O2), heart rate (HR), respiration rate (RR), muscle oxygen saturation (%SmO2), and power output during RPE-clamp exercise; Study 2) determine the sex-specific influence of expected duration of exercise on the pre- versus post-test maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) force, electromyographic amplitude (EMG AMP), and neuromuscular efficiency (NME: Normalized Force/Normalized EMG AMP); and Study 3) determine the influence of expected duration of exercise on the time course of the site-specific perception of effort (legs and lungs), pain (legs, seat, and back), and affective responses. This also included examining the correlation of interoceptive awareness to RPE-clamp exercise as well as to quantify the inter- and intra-muscular time-course EMG AMP and MPF, and %SmO2 responses to RPE-clamp exercise. The results of study 1 indicated there were sex-specific differences in the power output response depending on the expected duration of exercise. Specifically, females demonstrated significantly lower power output responses when it was expected for exercise to last for 40-min compared to 20-min, while males demonstrated no significant differences in power output response. In turn, the V̇O2 was lower for both males and females when it was expected to exercise for 40-min compared to 20-, and 30-min, although there was no influence of deception on HR, RR, of %SmO2. Study 2 demonstrated no significant differences in the performance fatigability or NME response regardless of expected duration of exercise. However, study 3 demonstrated that the lung-specific RPE was significantly lower when it was expected to exercise for 40-min compared to 20-min, but there were other significant differences in the leg-specific RPE, pain, or affective responses. In addition, participants’ interoceptive awareness was minimally correlated to RPE-clamp exercise performance, but there were significant inter- and intra-muscular differences in EMG AMP, EMG MPF, and %SmO2. Together, it can be concluded that the expected duration of exercise partially influences an individual’s RPE in a sex-specific manner that appears to be related to V̇O2 and the lung-specific RPE. While this influence did influence the pace (power output) in females, there was no difference in the total work performance during the RPE-clamp trials, which may indicate this influence is not of a sufficient magnitude to result in differences in the muscular stimulus in a theoretical training program. However, future studies are required to investigate the chronic effects of the differences exhibited by altering the expected duration of exercise while also identifying other such factors that may influence an individual’s RPE and, thus their endurance performance.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2024.136
Funding Information
Funds awarded directly to the author:
1) Arvle and Ellen Turner Thacker Endowment Fund, University of Kentucky, 2023 - 2024
2) Department of Kinesiology and Health Promotion Student Research Award, University of Kentucky, 2023 - 2024
Recommended Citation
Succi, Pasquale, "Influence of Deception of Task Duration on the Sex-Specific Physiological, Neuromuscular, and Affective Responses to RPE-Clamp Cycle Ergometry" (2024). Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion. 112.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/khp_etds/112
