The Impact of Deadlift Exercise Intensity on Rating of Perceived Exertion, Perceived Fatigue and Anxiety During an Acute Session in Recreationally Active Adults

Most literature examining the influence of exercise intensity on anxiety symptoms has been aerobic training and has found high-intensity efforts to be more beneficial than low-intensity on reducing symptoms. Yet, no study has directly assessed resistance training exercise intensity on anxiety symptoms and other perceptual outcomes acutely. PURPOSE: To determine the impact of deadlift exercise intensity on rating of perceived exertion (RPE), perceived fatigue and anxiety during an acute session. METHODS: 20 recreationally active adults (n=4 females, n=16 males, age: 25.7±8.6 yrs; mass: 92.8±29.7 kg; height: 179.4±9.8 cm) completed 4 sets of 6 repetitions of the deadlift exercise at a light (3-4 on 0-10 RPE scale) and moderately heavy (6-8 on 0-10 RPE scale) intensity (8 total sets). Prior to resistance training (baseline) and following each 4-set condition (light vs moderate) rating of perceived exertion (RPE) was determined using the OMNI-RES 0-10 scale, perceived fatigue was measured with a visual analog scale for fatigue (VAS-F), and perceived anxiety was measured with state-trait anxiety inventory short form (STAI-6). A one-way ANOVA with repeated measures was used (p