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Study note

Session Rating of Perceived Exertion Combined With Training Volume for Estimating Training Responses in Runners.

Updated Oct 17, 2026

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Human researchJournal of athletic training2020Read the source on PubMed

What the study found

Combining perceived exertion with duration changed the estimated week-to-week training-load pattern compared with tracking duration alone.

Participants and protocol

This community case series analysed 68 recreational runners using running time, steps, cumulative shock and corresponding session-effort ratings.

Pair perceived effort with the work completed

This recreational-running study compared week-to-week load changes calculated from running volume alone with measures that combined volume and session rating of perceived exertion. The methods produced different pictures of change; that is a monitoring lesson, not proof of an injury-prevention formula.

Record session duration or distance, the main workout job, terrain and a consistent post-session effort rating. Review trends across weeks instead of reacting to one hard score. When volume is stable but effort rises repeatedly, check sleep, illness, heat, fueling and life stress before adding load.

Read the measurement definitions in the PubMed record. Session RPE is useful context, not a diagnosis or a universal safe-load boundary. New pain, symptoms that alter gait or unusually poor recovery need a direct assessment.

What this cannot establish

The study compared monitoring measures; it did not test whether an effort-based rule prevents injury. A load estimate is context for decisions, not an automatic permission to progress.

Publication details
Record
PubMed 33064812
Publication types
research-article
Indexed subjects
Adaptation, Physiological · Running · Physical Exertion
Source record checked
2026-10-18

Publication type and subject indexing describe the record; they are not a quality grade or proof of a benefit. An abstract does not replace a review of the full methods and results.

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Performance Science Lab

Research summaries for endurance athletes, with study context, practical protocols, and clear limitations.

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Injury risk performance research

Running injuries have multiple contributing factors, including previous injury and training history. No single load measure explains individual risk.

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Injury risk research for endurance athletes

Running injury risk is multifactorial. Consider previous injury, training exposure and recovery together; a load number alone cannot determine your risk.

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Sources