Differential ratings of perceived exertion to quantify weekly and sessional internal load in basketball: an exploratory team-based case series

Although differential rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scales have been supported in quantifying internal load across various sports, their application in basketball remains to be comprehensively investigated. Consequently, we aimed to: (1) quantify and compare session- and weekly-RPE loads using global and differential RPE scales; and (2) compare session-RPE load between individual sessions across the week using each scale in basketball players. Ten semiprofessional, male players reported RPE using global and differential (respiratory and muscular) scales following each training session and game during the in-season. RPE was multiplied by session duration to derive session-RPE load, which were summed to determine weekly-RPE load. Weekly-RPE load was higher using global (P = 0.003, η2 = 0.343, large) and muscular (P = 0.004, η2 = 0.209, large) scales than the respiratory scale. Likewise, session-RPE load was higher using global (P = 0.049, η2 = 0.314, large) and muscular (P = 0.054, η2 = 0.298, large) scales than the respiratory scale only in games, with differences between scales during other sessions being trivial-to-medium (P >0.05). Across all scales, higher session-RPE loads were apparent in the second training session than all other sessions in the week (P <0.05, η2 = 0.105– 0.561, medium-to-large), and during games than the first training session (P <0.001, η2 = 0.202–0.223, large). While session-to-session load changes were similarly detected across scales, the greater weekly and game muscular loads than respiratory loads support the potential for differential RPE scales to provide more detailed internal load data in basketball settings.