Cyclists have more training data at their fingertips than ever before, and a complex web of information about how that data is used. But could an assessment of perceived locomotion be the gadget-free indicator we’ve missed so far?
Almost 50 years ago, Polar created the first heart rate monitor for training, opening the door to data-driven training for cyclists who wanted to monitor their effort levels outside of a lab environment. Almost a decade later, SRM launched its first power meter.
Power and heart rate are now becoming popular among cyclists as a means of using training zones to monitor intensity and target specific physiological adaptations (see Training with Power and Heart Rate). Please read the guide).
More innovative technologies are also emerging that can measure values such as ventilation, muscle oxygen saturation and heart rate variability during exercise and apply complex algorithms to determine training intensity zones on the fly. .
But while these technologies are undoubtedly useful, should we also take a more back-to-basics approach to monitoring training intensity?
More specifically, the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) is an underestimated training metric that should always be considered regardless of the number of sensors you are monitoring. Additionally, you don’t need a separate gadget to measure your RPE and use it as a metric to inform your training.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at RPE, why it’s important, and how to incorporate it into your training.
What are RPEs?
RPE simply indicates how difficult the session subjectively feels. Often it is quantified numerically (e.g. 6/10 effort). However, it can also be descriptive (e.g. “very easy”, “thorough”, etc.).
How to measure RPE
The traditional approach to measuring RPE is to use what is known as the ‘Borg scale’. This scale grades exercise intensity on a scale of 6-20. 6/20 represents little or no effort and 20/20 is maximum effort. effort.
Although the Borg scale is well-validated and widely used in research, it is also a very confusing scale to use. A more realistic approach is to rate exercise intensity on a scale of 1-10.
We recommend using this. To help you get an idea of what different intensities feel like, here’s the table below.
Why is RPE useful?
Basically, RPE is probably the most sensitive and comprehensive indicator of training load. Especially when it comes to the so-called “internal training load”.
Understand internal and external training load
“Internal training load” means the load or stress placed on the body, such as the energy system being used, the level of fatigue metabolites in the blood, the types of muscle fibers being activated, the stress on the central nervous system, etc. It is included. systems, how hard your body is working to regulate your body temperature, and so on.
This is in contrast to “external training load”. “External training load” is simply the actual amount of work you’re doing to pedal, which is the number of watts you’re producing multiplied by the length of your ride.
Internal load and external load are not necessarily the same.
For example, riding at 200 watts in a cool environment, rested, well-energized and hydrated, versus riding 200 watts at the end of a hot, hard race when muscle glycogen is depleted, has a higher internal load. it’s different. , damages muscles, causes dehydration and raises body temperature.
Intuitively, the second scenario puts more stress on the body because it feels harder to pedal. This is a good representation of his RPE power.
Get your internal training load using your heart rate
Internal training load (the stress your body feels) can also be understood to some extent by measuring your heart rate and using the other technologies mentioned above.
For example, we often see heart rate rising towards the end of a long ride, even when power output remains constant. This tends to reflect increased internal load caused by muscle fatigue, glycogen depletion, dehydration and elevated body temperature.
In this example, a heart rate of 145bpm can sustain 200 watts at the start of the ride, but a heart rate of 155bpm is required to sustain the same 200 watts at the end of the ride.
The latter puts more stress on the body, so if you start to see signs of heart rate drift (also known as “cardiac drift”), it’s a good idea to adjust your power goal accordingly. Masu.
Come on, RPE
However, heart rate has some drawbacks. Most notably, it reflects only stressors that affect the cardiovascular system and is not very good at capturing other stressors such as nerve fatigue and muscle damage.
The same applies to other measures mentioned above (such as ventilation and muscle oxygen saturation). So far, all methods of objectively measuring internal load provide only a narrow snapshot of what is happening inside the body.
RPE, on the other hand, probably represents a more holistic picture of how hard you work. Importantly, for everyday cyclists, it’s free, easy to use, and helps you get more accurate heart rate and power data and the difference between the two.
How to use RPE in training
There are two main ways to use RPE in training. One is to monitor your “form” and prepare for training. Set training intensity goals individually.
Monitor your ‘form’ and training readiness
Using your RPE daily will help you assess your training readiness. This specifically looks for discrepancies between RPE and measures of internal/external training load such as power and heart rate.
For example, if you start a session and feel your RPE is high relative to your power output and heart rate, this may indicate that you are not recovering sufficiently for a high intensity session.
This may mean changing your plans slightly. Perhaps take a recovery day, ride at a lower intensity, or postpone high intensity training until later in the week.
Set individual training intensity goals
As we have already mentioned, many riders now train and race using power zones and heart rate zones.
These are great at providing a good rough range of intensities for exercise, but are rarely perfect and often require fine-tuning to suit your own unique physiology. is required.
Paying attention to the RPE can be a smart way to do this. And indeed, RPE is often used as the primary intensity indicator when pacing high-intensity intervals.
Here are some common session types and their associated RPE levels:
5 tips for getting the most out of your RPE
Now that you’ve learned how to use ratings of perceived exertion to enhance your training, let’s finish with some tips on how to get the most out of this valuable metric.
1) Record the RPE for the entire session.
Keeping a record of your RPE can help you monitor whether you are giving yourself enough time to recover, and it can also help identify potential red flags of illness.
For example, if your RPE rating is consistently showing 7-9/10 on sessions that should feel like 4-6/10, this is a concern and you should step back to see if you are allowing it. may need to be verified. You may not be recovering enough or you may be pushing yourself too hard in your training.
Training platforms such as TrainingPeaks allow the ability to quickly record RPE at the end of each session.
2) Don’t just focus on a single metric
Instead of just using power, heart rate and RPE, triangulate all the information about your training intensity to get a better idea of how hard you are working and what your form is like Please try to
For example, if you notice that your heart rate is low and your RPE is high relative to your fitness, you might conclude that you’re a little tired or may be showing early signs of illness.
In contrast, if your heart rate is low relative to your power and your RPE is also low, this can be a positive sign that you are feeling refreshed and your fitness is improving.
These two very different scenarios cannot be easily distinguished without considering the RPE.
3) Respond to RPE
This means adjusting your plans daily based on how you feel. For example, it makes no sense to continue a high-intensity training session if you are not fresh enough to perform this session successfully.
4) Develop competitive RPE skills
Make a mental note of how different effort levels feel during training and how long you can sustain these efforts. And always check yourself during races and events to see if you’re sticking with the effort you know you can sustain.
5) Use RPE to assist power control
When it comes to RPE, you can drill down into what your individual pedal strokes feel like, which can be a great way to help control your power while training.
After a few pedal strokes at your target wattage, remember what that wattage feels like and aim to emulate it with each subsequent pedal stroke.
