Effort: Perception of

Perception of effort, also known as perceived exertion or sense of effort, refers to the conscious sensation of how hard, heavy, and strenuous a physical task is. This perception depends mainly on feelings of effort in the active limbs, and the sensation of heavy breathing (a type of dyspnea). Several authors think that somatic sensations such as muscle pain, thermal discomfort, and chest [Page 381]pain also contribute to perceived exertion. However, it has been demonstrated that people can differentiate perception of effort from these somatic sensations experienced during exercise (e.g., muscle pain). This entry describes the history, measurement methods, physiological and psychosocial determinants, neurophysiology, effort and other perceptions, and relevance and practical applications of perception of effort.