Measuring the talk test as a continuous as opposed to a categorical variable

Abstract

The TT (Talk Test) has been a useful tool when prescribing exercise intensity. It has been shown to have significant relationship to the Ventilatory Threshold (VT) and Respiratory Compensation Threshold (RCT). There however have been no studies that have directly measured the perception of speech difficulty while performing the TT. The purpose of this study was to measure the perception of speech difficulty as a continuous variable (Visual Analogue Scale) and comparing it to the TT measured as a categorical variable (yes, yes/no, no). Twenty (n = 20) physically active volunteers participated in three incremental maximal exercise tests on an electronically braked bicycle ergometer. Exercise tests were performed in a counterbalanced order with the same protocol (25W + 25W/2 min) until fatigue. The results found that females perceived speech difficulty higher than males using the VAS with a significant difference (p < .05) at the Last Positive (LP), Equivocal (EQ), and Negative (NEG) stage of the TT. The main finding of the study was that perception of speech difficulty increased with exercise in a curvilinear fashion.