A European thesis carried out by researcher Mikel Zabala and directed by Professors Jesús Viciana, Lindsey Dugdill and Pedro Femia Marzo, from the Dpts. of Physical and Sport Education (University of Granada) and the Department of Sport Sciences (Liverpool John Moores University) aims to allow ESO students to regulate physical effort intensity by themselves, by measuring heart rate, using a rating of perceived exertion and a specific theoretical training.
Researcher Mikel Zabala has obtained a first class Cum Laude for this thesis; it is titled “Influence of a biofeedback based intervention program of heart rate on the perception of effort intensity in compulsory secondary education students” and aims to put into practice a specific intervention program for ESO students to achieve the perception of the effort intensity when practicing physical activity, by measuring their heart rate (HR) and using a rating of perceived exertion (RPE).
According to the person in charge of the research work, “through a quasi-experimental design developed in the natural context of Physical Education (PE), we studied two 3rd ESO students experimental groups (15 years old) of 9 boys and 9 girls each (n=36) who took part in 12 specific sessions. In addition, a control group of 8 boys and 7 girls was included; they did not carry out the treatment (n=15). Such treatment had 12 sessions, 11 of them practical and a theoretical one, in which students had to perceive their HR (HRper) after carrying out the 6 tasks – those significant in which large muscular groups were exercised – as well as giving a RPE-O (RPE Overall) value to each task”.
According to the persons in charge of the research, “in most cases, three months later, once the treatment was finished, students had retained the information.”
According to the results obtained after Mikel Zabala´s research it can be stated that “it is possible to improve the quality of the physical activity practice of young people and achieve a more controlled and self-directed practice if students know how to regulate their effort intensity in accordance to the objectives”.
Reference: Mikel Zabala Díaz.
Dpt.of Physical and Sport Education. University of Granada.
Phone number: 958244371
E-mail: mikelz@ugr.es
