Effects of Talking on Exercise Tolerance |
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| Authors: | B Don Franks Barbee C Myers |
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| Institution: | 1. Center for Physical Activity and Health, Division of Physical Education , University of Tennessee-Knoxville , 37996-2700;2. Division of Physical Education , University of Tennessee-Knoxville |
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| Abstract: | Abstract Two studies determined the effects of responding to questions on heart rate (HR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and time to voluntary exhaustion on a graded treadmill walking/running test in naive college students. The first study used 16 (8 female and 8 male) volunteers; each subject was tested both without talking and while responding to 3 questions during each exercise stage. The second study had independent groups (n = 10 females each): (1) no talking during the early exercise stages (two walking stages), but answering questions during the later (running) stages until exhaustion, and (2) answering questions during the walking stages, but not talking during the running stages. Differences between groups (.10 level) were determined by two-way ANOVA (talking/no talking; gender) and t test for independent groups, respectively. There were no gender/treatment interactions. Exercise tolerance, HR, and RPE were generally not affected by the tester asking subjects questions about subjects' physical activity habits, with the following exceptions: the first study found a lower HR response to light work when the subjects were responding to questions. In the second study, the subjects perceived the work to be harder with no talking during the second (walking) stage, and while talking during the third (running) stage. For subjects unaccustomed to exercise testing and not well known to the tester, it appears that the best test results occur when the tester talks to the subject during early stages of exercise, but not during moderate and heavy work. |
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| Keywords: | testing environment exercise tolerance cardiovascular function perceived exertion |
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