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BJSM Online First, published on June 11, 2010 as 10.1136/bjsm.2010.072637 Original article
Cognition and performance: anxiety, mood and perceived exertion among Ironman triathletes David Parry,1 Camilla Chinnasamy,1 Eleni Papadopoulou,1 Timothy Noakes,2 Dominic Micklewright1 1Department
of Biological Sciences, Centre for Sports and Exercise Science, University of Essex, Colchester, UK 2Department of Human Biology, UCT/MRC Research Unit for ESSM, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa Correspondence to Dr Dominic Micklewright, Department of Biological Sciences, Centre for Sports and Exercise Science, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex CO4 3SQ, UK;
[email protected] Accepted 1 April 2010
ABSTRACT Objective The authors examined the changing patterns of mood before and after an Ironman triathlon, and the relationships between expected performance outcomes, perception of effort and pacing. Design Twelve participants in the 2008 Ironman Austria triathlon competition were studied before, during and after the event. Each participant completed measures of mood, anxiety and perceived exertion, while pacing was calculated from official race timings at various points on the course. Results Positive correlations were found between distance covered and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) during each of the individual disciplines, and also between RPE and the percentage of overall race time completed (r=0.826, p
