Immersive Virtual Reality Decreases Work Rate and Manipulates Attentional Focus During Self-Regulated Vigorous Exercise

ABSTRACT

To determine the effect of immersive virtual reality use on finishing time of a vigorous-intensity self-regulated exercise task, and on relevant psychological variables. Healthy untrained adults (N = 21; 10 men/11 women; age = 22.9 ± 7.2 years; BMI = 24.0 ± 4.5 kg/m²) completed 1500-m exercise bouts on a rowing ergometer in a counterbalanced and randomized order, with and without use of a headset-delivered virtual reality fitness program. Heart rate, rating of perceived exertion, affective valence, and attentional focus were collected every 300 m, in addition to finishing time. Data were analyzed with repeated measures as appropriate. Intensity of both exercise bouts was considered vigorous according to heart rate results (>77% maximal heart rate). Finishing time was faster in the control condition (449.57 ± 82.39 s) than in the virtual reality condition (463.00 ± 91.78 s), p = .007. Compared to the control condition, the virtual reality condition was characterized by a more external attentional focus (52.38 ± 18.22 vs. 38.76 ± 17.81, p < .001). No differences were observed for remaining variables as a result of condition (p > .05 for all). When a headset-delivered VR program was used during a self-regulated vigorous-intensity exercise task, participants were 13.6 seconds (~3%) slower than in a control condition. Attentional focus was manipulated to be more external with VR use, which may have ultimately distracted from the exercise objective. Recommendations for selecting an appropriate virtual reality experience for a given exercise task are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Dissociation
• exergaming
• rowing
• time trial

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Julie Herron for her help in procuring intramural funding for the study through the College of Education and Human Development at Augusta University. We would also like to thank all of the participants who volunteered their time and effort to complete the study.

Disclosure statement

Access to the virtual reality program Holofit was provided by the company Holodia.

Additional information

Funding

The study was funded primarily through an intramural grant from the College of Education and Human Development in the affiliated institution. The study was supported in part by Holodia, the company that makes the virtual reality fitness program (HOLOFIT) that was used in the study. We were granted a 1-year license to use the program, a ~90 USD value, after emailing the company to make this request. The continued use of the license is not contingent upon findings reported in this manuscript. Neither the main funding organization nor the virtual reality program company had any role in the collection of data, the analysis or interpretation of the data, or the right to approve/disapprove publication of the finished manuscript.