Association between the Rating Perceived Exertion, Heart Rate and Blood Lactate in Successive Judo Fights (Randori)

Purpose: this study aims to investigate the association between the rating of perceived exertion (rpe), heart rate (hr) and the blood lactate concentration ([la]) in successive judo fight simulations (randori). methods: ten athletes participated in the study (age: 25.6±2.1 years; stature: 1.75±0.07 m; body mass: 75.6±14.9kg; %bf: 11.5±7.8%; practice: 14.5±6.2 years) and completed 4 judo fight simulations (t1 to t4) with duration of 5 min separated by 5 min passive recovery periods. before each randori, [la] and hr were collected, and after each randori, the same measures and the rpe (cr-10 scale) were collected. results: significant correlations were observed between: (1) cr-10 and hr (t2: r =0.70; t3: r =0.64; both, p<0.05); (2) δcr-10 and δ[la] (t1-t2: r = .71, p< 0.05; t2-t3: r =0.92, p<0.01; t3-t4: r =0.73, p<0.05). moreover, significant differences were noted in the behavior of the hr between the 2nd (t2) and 3rd (t3) judo fight simulations (p<0.05). conclusion: the use of cr-10 in the evaluation process, as well as in deciding the load of training in judo, should be done with caution.