Journal
APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY NUTRITION AND METABOLISM
Volume -, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
CANADIAN SCIENCE PUBLISHING
DOI: 10.1139/apnm-2022-0179
Keywords
breathlessness; Borg; expectancy effect; RPE
Categories
Funding
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
- University of British Columbia Doctoral Fellowship
- NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award
- NSERC Doctoral Award
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Dyspnea and leg discomfort during exercise can be influenced by expectations, while perceived exertion (RPE) remains unchanged. The effect of expectations must be considered when interpreting sensations of breathlessness.
Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) is used to subjectively quantify the perception of physical activity, breathlessness or dyspnea, and leg discomfort (RPElegs) during exercise. However, it is unknown how dyspnea or RPElegs can be influenced by expectations. Thirty healthy, active participants (19 males, 11 females) completed five, 5-minute submaximal cycling trials at 60% peak work rate. We deceived participants by telling them they were inspiring different hypoxic and hyperoxic gases, when in fact they breathed room air. Cardiorespiratory variables were similar between the trials, however, dyspnea and RPElegs evaluated with a Borg scale changed in a dose-response manner. When participants believed they were breathing 15% O2, they significantly increased dyspnea +0.70 +/- 0.2 units (p = 0.03) compared to room air, whereas RPElegs was unchanged +0.35 +/- 0.1 units (p = 0.70). When participants believed they were breathing 15% O2, they significantly increased dyspnea +1.05 +/- 0.4 units (p = 0.003) compared to 23% hyperoxic condition, whereas RPElegs was unchanged +0.35 +/- 0.1 units (p = 0.70). We found that dyspnea during exercise is susceptible to expectancy, without any accompanying physiological changes. Given coaches and clinicians use perceived exertion to prescribe exercise intensity and evaluate treatments, our findings show that the effect of expectations must be considered when interpreting sensations of breathlessness.
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