Multidimensional Analysis of Subjective Symptomatology during Prolonged Strenuous Exercise

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Characteristics of subjective symptom changes during prolonged bicycle riding were explored in this study. On two occasions, 64 male subjects (mean age 22·9 years) rode a bicycle ergometer at 55·6 ± 2·8% aerobic capacity with instructions to continue riding until it became so discomforting that they felt it necessary to stop. Mean quitting times were 36 ± 24 min and 36 ± 22 min for Rides 1 and 2, respectively. Each item of an initial group of 63 adjectives potentially descriptive of subjectivo changes during exercise were arranged along a 5-point scale of severity (1 = absent; 5 = severe) and administered before and at the end of both rides. Through key cluster analysis of the 41 items showing at least 10% change during exercise, an 18 item Physical Activity Questionnaire (PAQ) was derived. It was composed of three unique, collinear symptom clusters labeled Fatigue, Task Aversion, and Motivation. Comparative key cluster analysis showed good similarity between clusters of both rides. Mean pre- to end-of-ride changes during both rides for the overall PAQ, Fatigue, Task Aversion, and Motivation clusters were 61%, 100%, 69%, and 16%, respectively. Coefficients of stability for the pre- to end-of-ride change of the overall PAQ, Fatigue, and Task Aversion were 0·82, 0·83, and 0·65. The Motivation cluster had a considerably lower coefficient of stability, 0·38, than did the other PAQ clusters. These results suggest that subjective changes during exercise tend to group into unique clusters of symptoms that can be reliably measured.