Abstract
Recent publications have shown inconsistent results regarding the influence of type A behavior patterns on ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) during exercise. In this study, the relationship between type A/B behavior and RPE was examined during exercise in Japanese female undergraduate students. Eighteen female undergraduate participated in this study. They were chosen from 495 university students based on completion of a type A questionnaire for Japanese adults and agreement to participate in the study. Ten subjects had type A characteristics and 8 had type B characteristics. An exercise test was designed to increase exercise intensity to exhaustion levels using a cycle ergometer with 60rpm. During exercise, VO_2, heart rate, and blood lactate accumulation were assessed as a measure of physiological index, and exertion or pain in the chest, exertion or pain in the leg, overall exertion, and feeling scores (FS) were assessed as a measure of perceptual index. FS assesses the affective dimension of the exercise experience, ranging from "very bad" to "very good" (-5 to +5). Results showed that physiological and perceptual indices of Type A subjects were not significantly different from Type B subjects. RPE during exercise is not influenced by Type A behavior in Japanese female undergraduate students.
