The aim of this study was to establish an accurate and practical method of quantifying tennis training. Twenty-four female elite tennis players, aged 14 to 32 years, were recruited from Brisbane clubs and schools. A specific graded on-court test was designed to assess energy expenditure (EE) at 5 different levels of playing intensity. Each level consisted of six 20s periods of activity (points) alternated with 15s of active rest, intending to simulate the demands of playing a game of tennis. During the full length of the test, VO2 was assessed using a portable gas analyzer (Cosmed K4b2), HR was measured with a heart rate monitor, and the player`s perceived exertion (RPE) was recorded as a score from 1 to 10 after each intensity level, within the first 30s of recovery. The VO2 during exercise plus the O2 dept during the recovery time were used to calculate the energy cost of each level. The energy cost of each intensity level for each player was plotted against both HR and RPE. Analysis revealed a linear relationship between EE and RPE, between EE and HR in the graded specific test. RPE was the best predictor of EE in 18 of the 24 players involved in the study (r2>0.90; p<0.001). An EE/RPE regression for tennis playing was determined for each player. On a separate occasion, six of these players completed a 60-minute match of singles tennis to validate the RPE method of quantifying training. Throughout the match, VO2 and HR were recorded, and the RPE score for the entire match was reported at the end of the 60 minutes. The energy expenditure calculated from the direct measurement of VO2 during the entire tennis session was compared with the value given by the RPE linear regression equation. The mean EE directly determined for the 60-minute session was 441.208 ± 60.34Kcal, the mean EE predicted by RPE was 464.027 ± 68.509Kcal, the mean difference was -22.819± 7.121Kcal. Therefore it was possible to predict with good accuracy the energetic cost of playing tennis at a given intensity from a global RPE score given for the entire match/session, in a previously calibrated individual. We concluded that it is possible to quantify tennis playing using a practical method for players and coaches. (2000 Pre-Olympic Congress, Sports Medicine and Physical Education, International Congress on Sport Science, 7-13 September - Brisbane, Australia 2000)
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