Pre-planned Vs. Executed Real-Time Pacing Strategies during 3-km Race: Role of Rating Perceived Exertion

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The aim of the study was to verify the agreement between preplanned and executed pacing during a 3-km race and determine whether adjustments are mediated by the rating of perceived exertion (RPE). Method: Thirteen young runners (eight males and five females, 17.5 ± 2.1 and 17.0 ± 1.6 years old, respectively) with national and international experience participated in the study. Before the simulated competition, the athletes informed of their preplanned pacing for the distance through a dashboard with the most common pacing profiles and were also asked to complete a questionnaire communicating their preplanned RPE for each lap of race. During 3-km, heart rate (HR), executed RPE and lap time were recorded. Results: Our results showed no significant association between preplanned and executed pacing (p = .631). Moreover, no significant difference between preplanned and executed RPE was found, including the analysis by laps and phases. RPE and HR increased over time during the race (p < .001). Conclusions: The athletes changed from their preplanned pacing, however, their RPE were similar in the preplanned and executed during the 3-km race. These findings indicate that the RPE could be responsible for adjustments in the pacing strategy.

KEYWORDS:

• Endurance
• performance
• competition
• physiology

Acknowledgments

The authors report no conflict of interest. This study was financed in part by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil (CAPES) – Finance Code 001. The authors thanks’ all athletes for participation in the research and Joseph F. Welch, PhD, for the contributions in the paper. The English text of this paper has been revised by Sidney Pratt, Canadian, MAT (The Johns Hopkins University), RSAdip - TESL (Cambridge University).