Salience of Perceptual Cues during Cycling: Do Training and Instrumentation Moderate Ratings of Perceived Exertion?

Abstract
A cross-sectional experimental design was employed to evaluate the effects of toeclips on 10 non-cyclists' (runners) and 10 competitive cyclists' ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) during VO2 max tests conducted on a bicycle ergometer. It was proposed that the competitive cyclists would benefit considerably more from the use of toeclips than non-cyclists. Results supported the hypothesis in that the use of toeclips by the competitive group led to a decrease in local ratings and a concomitant increase in VO2 max over a no-toeclip condition. Such differences were not found for the non-cyclists.