Martin, S. B., & Jackson, A. W. (2003). Production of running speed using RPE as the stimulus signal. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 35(5), Supplement abstract 311.

University track athletes (M = 14; F = 13) performed five 300-m runs on an outdoor 40-m track. Ss warmed-up and were given instructions about Borg's 6-20 RPE scale. Before each running trial, Ss were instructed to perform at a predetermined RPE level (13, 9, 17, 11, and 15). They were to achieve a pace appropriate for the designated RPE level. The 300-m run was divided into three parts: 100-m of speed increase to achieve the desired level; 100-m of establishing the pace, and the final 100-m at the desired pace. The pace of the third section was used for analysis.

Males ran significantly faster than females but there was no significant difference for the gender by trials interaction. Running pace increased slightly less than the RPE stimuli. Running pace increased as a quadratic function, while RPE increased linearly.

Implication. RPE can be used to designate running paces in trained athletes. However, as RPE stimuli reach higher levels, the increase is running speed lessens in magnitude. At high levels of performance, the difference in running speeds that correspond to RPEs becomes less.

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