The Perceptual Response to Treadmill Exercise Using the Eston-Parfitt Scale and Marble Dropping Task, in Children Age 7 to 8 Years

This study assessed the nature of the perceived exertion response to treadmill running in 14 healthy 7-8 year-old children, using the Eston-Parfitt (E-P) Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale and a marble dropping task. For the E-P scale and the marble dropping task, the relationships between the RPE and work rate were best described as linear (R(2) = .96) and curvilinear (R(2) = .94), respectively. This study further suggests that individual respiratory-metabolic cues (oxygen uptake: O(2), heart rate: HR, ventilation: V(E)) may significantly influence the overall RPE to varying degrees in young children. The E-P scale provides an intuitively meaningful and valid means of quantifying the overall perception of exertion in young, healthy children during treadmill running. The marble dropping task is a useful secondary measure of perceived exertion, which provides further insight into the nature of the perceived exertion response to exercise in young children.