The use of the rating of perceived exertion to monitor and control the training load in Futsal

This study applied the Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) to quantify the internal load of Futsal training sessions and to correlate it with other methods based upon the heart rate (HR) response. The sample was composed of nine athletes (age, 17.2 [+ or -] 0.4 yrs; weight, 68.1 [+ or -] 9.3 kg; height, 176.4 [+ or -] 6.6 cm. In total, 330 on court training sessions were monitored for RPE, HR, and the training impulses (TRIMPs) of Edwards and Banister. The correlations between the internal load based on the RPE compared to TRIMPs were strong (r = 0.58; r = 0.48) to very strong (r = 0.79; r = 0.78), respectively. When compared to the Banister's, the Edwards' TRIMPs showed a better correlation with the RPE method. The mean intensity of the training sessions was 69 %[HR.sub.max] and 55 %[HR.sub.res]. The perceived intensity presented by the athletes was considered strong (5.8 [+ or -] 1.5 Arbitrary Units) according to the Borg CR10 scale. Thus, the RPE method seems to be a valid tool for monitoring the global internal load of Futsal training sessions at this age group. Key Words: Perceived Exertion, Futsal, Training Load