Page 114 - Journal of Special Operations Medicine - Summer 2015

Table 2 Ratings of Perceived Effort
Task: ________________________________________________ Task Duration: _____________________________________
Check the box below that best describes the level of difficulty experienced in each area for this task.
Level of Difficulty 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
No Effort Some Moderate Hard Very Hard
at All Effort Effort Effort Effort

Muscular
Cardiovascular

Cognitive

Biomechanics
Overall score

into account all of the stressors influencing training, it Ideally, an external and internal measure of training
is the primary tool that should be used to guide train- load should be integrated to assist in developing train-
ing intensity. Training load is quantified by multiplying ing plans and provide real-time feedback about how
the RPE score by the duration of training. Measures well the Operator is responding to stress. To integrate
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of RPE can be assessed through use of a scale based on external and internal measures of training load, a stan-
training intensity (Table 2) that ranges from 0 (no effort dardized assessment of physical fitness that reflects
at all) to 10 (very hard effort). In order to fully assess the the physical demands of SOF skills should first be per-
multiple components of training and skills performed formed and the measures made should then be matched
by the Operator, an overall RPE score and individual to measures of daily training. For example, if tactical
scores for muscular, cardiovascular, biomechanical, and drills are characterized by multiple bursts of high inten-
cognitive difficulty should be determined for each train- sity engagement ranging from 2 to 30 seconds over a
ing session (including any technical, tactical or cognitive total of 6 minutes, standardized testing might consist of
operational training tasks). a 6 × 30-second bike test where SOF Operators perform
six 30-second efforts all out to understand their maxi-
Heart rate, measured with a HR monitor, can also be mal ability to produce power. From the test, measures
used to evaluate internal load through measures made of external load—power and how fast they fatigue—can
during training; however, while RPE can be used to be related to internal load, RPE, in order to design train-
prescribe training sessions, HR should only be used to ing sessions that help improve the maximal and aver-
determine the stress of the cardiovascular system (heart age power an Operator can produce without fatigue.
and lungs) during training and should not be used to Specific assessments of mission specific field training
guide training. 21–23 Training load can be calculated by can also be measured by RPE and an accelerometer to
multiplying HR by the duration of a training session or understand the training stress in the field and how this
specific task. Measures of exercise and recovery HR relates to their overall physical conditioning. From these
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are the most useful means for using HR to determine measures, training plans can be created relative to maxi-
whether the body is responding to training. When per- mal physical fitness and the physical demands placed
forming steady-state exercise, such as easy running, de- on individual SOF members during the wide variety of
creases in HR and RPE at a given pace or power output training activities performed in the field.
indicate adaptation to training. During high-intensity
training, the ability to recover HR is the best indicator In addition to building training plans, HR and RPE can
of the heart’s adaptation to training. Using training load help monitor fatigue. For example, the normal RPE
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to intentionally plan training has been shown to pro- and HR relationship to a measure of external load, such
vide the desired reductions in HR during steady-state as power or speed, should be determined for the Opera-
exercise and to improve the ability to recover HR from tor at the beginning of a training plan when in a rested
high-intensity training. Table 3 presents an example state. If RPE or HR becomes elevated in a negative re-
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of positive adaptation to training as measured by HR lationship to changes in power/speed as training pro-
and RPE. The training load is also calculated using time gresses, this suggests a state of fatigue and increased
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(minutes) and training session RPE. recovery is required to prevent a decline in health and

104 Journal of Special Operations Medicine Volume 15, Edition 2/Summer 2015