Perceptual acuity ability in endurance runners: How cardiorespiratory fitness, not biological sex, shapes interoceptive awareness
Article
Antonio, Dayanne S, Bigliassi, Marcelo, Krause, Maressa P. (2026). Perceptual acuity ability in endurance runners: How cardiorespiratory fitness, not biological sex, shapes interoceptive awareness
. International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, 10.1177/17479541261469334
Antonio, Dayanne S, Bigliassi, Marcelo, Krause, Maressa P. (2026). Perceptual acuity ability in endurance runners: How cardiorespiratory fitness, not biological sex, shapes interoceptive awareness
. International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, 10.1177/17479541261469334
This study examined sex differences in perceptual acuity ability, quantified via the just-noticeable difference approach (JND), through
V˙
O
2
kinetics expressed relative to individual
V˙
O
2max
, their relationship to time perception, rating of perceived exertion (RPE), speed, and heart rate (HR) in recreational runners. Sixty-four runners (Females:
n=
30,
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O
2max
= 48.0 ± 5.2 ml·kg
−1
·min
−1
; Males:
n=
34,
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O
2max
= 57.0 ± 5.6 ml·kg
−1
·min
−1
) completed a maximal estimation trial and four 5-min JND bouts at 70%
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2max
, designed to quantify the
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2
difference during the final 30 s between each JND bout and the preceding standard stimulus at intensities perceived as just above (JND-A) and just below (JND-B) the reference exertion.
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2
-time trajectories were modeled with generalized additive models; secondary outcomes were assessed via repeated-measures ANOVA. No sex differences emerged in total JND magnitude (Females: 6.83 ± 3.69%
V˙
O
2max
; Males: 6.23 ± 2.82%
V˙
O
2max
;
d
= 0.182) or time perception (η
2p
= 0.009). Females exhibited higher
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2
(+3.54%
V˙
O
2max
) and distinct
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2
-time trajectories. Independent of sex, JND-A elicited a greater magnitude of change than JND-B: higher relative
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2
, RPE (Δ = 1.31–1.38 a.u.), time perception (Δ = 19–23.5 s), and speed (Δ = 0.096–0.134 m·s
−1
). HR increased in JND-A for females (Δ=6.03 bpm) but not for males. These findings suggest that recreational runners of both sexes demonstrated comparable perceptual acuity ability, despite distinct relative
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2
responses. At the bout level, our findings indicate an asymmetric self-regulation pattern, with JND-A eliciting greater physiological and perceptual responses than JND-B. Coaches can utilize JND thresholds, which relate to perceptual acuity, to create training programs aimed at supporting interoceptive awareness and exercise intensity regulation in recreational runners.
