Session RPE Breakpoints Corresponding to Intensity Thresholds in Elite Open Water Swimmers

• Main Authors: Cristian Ieno, Roberto Baldassarre, Claudio Quagliarotti, Marco Bonifazi, Maria Francesca Piacentini
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-03-01
• Series: Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology
• Subjects: endurance; polarized training; tl; training zones; rate of perceived exertion; lactate thresholds detection; elite athletes
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2411-5142/5/1/21
• ISSN: 2411-5142

This study aims to assess the correspondence between session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE) breakpoints with both the first lactate threshold (LT1) and the second lactate threshold (LT2) in elite open water swimmers (OWS). Six elite OWS of the National Olympic Team specialized in distances between 5 and 25 km participated to the study. OWS performed a set of 6 times 500 m incremental swimming step test during which blood lactate concentration (BLC), split time (ST), stroke frequency (SF), and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were collected. To assess the corresponding breakpoints, we considered LT1 as the highest workload not associated with rise in BLC and LT2 as the increase of 2mM above LT1. According to the LT1 and LT2, the identified zones were: Z1 ≤3, Z2 between 4 and 6, Z3 ≥ 7. In conclusion, the intensity zones determined for OWS resulted different from what previously reported for other endurance disciplines.