Training load monitoring in taekwondo: athlete-reported and coach-planned ratings of perceived exertion and the role of session duration

Abstract The present study examined the role of session duration in the relationships among athlete-reported RPE, session-RPE, and heart-rate-derived training impulse (TRIMP) as indicators of internal training load. We also examined the relationship between coach-planned RPE and athlete-reported RPE as complementary indicators of intended training load in taekwondo. Thirteen national and international athletes were monitored across 1075 session records, alongside an expert coach who reported planned training load (coach-RPE). Mixed-effects models were used to analyze the associations between athlete-reported RPE, session-RPE, heart-rate-derived training impulse (TRIMP), and coach-RPE. Both session-RPE ( β = 0.160, p < 0.001) and training session duration ( β = 1.534, p < 0.001) were associated with TRIMP. However, when included in the same model, the effect of session-RPE was substantially attenuated ( β = 0.064), while training session duration remained the primary predictor ( β = 1.065), indicating that their association was partly explained by their shared dependence on session duration. A similar pattern was observed for athlete-RPE, with its association with TRIMP decreasing after controlling for training session duration. Training session duration was also a significant predictor of both athlete-RPE (OR ≈ 1.35 per 30 min) and coach-RPE (OR ≈ 1.30 per 30 min). Coach-RPE was associated with athlete-RPE (OR = 1.61). Bootstrap analyses confirmed all effects. These

Findings: highlight session duration as an important contributor to the relationships among internal-load indicators in taekwondo and support the use of athlete-reported and coach-planned RPE.