Question

read the scenario.
henry is a dedicated sprinter on the high school track team who is well - versed in the concept of rate of perceived exertion (rpe). if henry feels his rpe is too high during a practice sprint, suggesting he exerts himself at a level 9 or 10, he will ease up to prevent overtraining. conversely, if he feels his exertion level is too low, at a level 3 or 4, he will push harder to increase the intensity of his workout. during a sprint training session, henry wants to ensure he is not overexerting himself but still pushing hard enough to benefit from the workout.
based on the rpe scale, which of the following strategies should henry employ?
○ alternate between an rpe of 6 for sprints and 4 for recovery
○ adjust his sprinting effort to reach an rpe of 7–8 for each interval
○ sprint at an rpe of 9 and rest at an rpe of 5 to maximize recovery
○ maintain a moderate rpe of 5 throughout the entire session for consistency

Explanation:

1. Analyze the first option: Alternating RPE 6 (sprint) and 4 (recovery). RPE 4 is too low for sprint (he pushes harder at 3 - 4), so sprinting at 6 is okay but recovery at 4 is fine, but let's check others.
2. Analyze the second option: Adjust to RPE 7 - 8 for each interval. RPE 9 or 10 is too high (ease up), 3 - 4 is too low (push harder). 7 - 8 is between, so it's a good intensity—hard enough to benefit, not too high to overtrain.
3. Analyze the third option: Sprint at RPE 9 (he eases up at too high, 9 is close to 10 which is too high, so overtraining risk) and rest at 5 (rest should be lower, but sprinting at 9 is not ideal).
4. Analyze the fourth option: Maintain RPE 5 throughout. RPE 3 - 4 is too low (he pushes harder), so 5 is moderate but for sprint training, he needs to push harder than 5 to benefit (since 3 - 4 is too low, so 5 is still on the lower side for sprint effort).

So the best strategy is adjusting to RPE 7 - 8 as it's a good balance between pushing hard enough and not overexerting.

Answer:

B. adjust his sprinting effort to reach an RPE of 7–8 for each interval