Virtual Reality During Exercise Testing

Effects of Virtual Reality on Cardiorespiratory Fitness Test Results

The goal of this clinical trial is to explore the effects of virtual reality use on maximal aerobic exercise test performance (aerobic capacity) in healthy adults. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Does using a virtual reality program during a maximal aerobic exercise test lead to differences in VO2peak (maximal aerobic capacity)? and,
• Does using a virtual reality program during a maximal aerobic exercise test lead to differences in work rate at the ventilatory threshold?

Participants will complete a maximal aerobic exercise test two times (separated by 1 week of recovery) under the following conditions:

• normal testing conditions in a lab
• while viewing a virtual reality video

Researchers will compare the test results of both conditions to see if the use of a virtual reality program alters VO2peak or the ventilatory threshold.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Virtual Reality
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Virtual Reality condition; Behavioral: Control condition

Detailed Description

Virtual reality imparts a dissociative effect on users during exercise, such that the physical activity task is experienced as more enjoyable and pleasant, requires less exertion, and requires less physiological function for a given submaximal work rate.

This array of positive effects may be particularly advantageous during a maximal aerobic exercise test, mainly because participant motivation and negative psychological state often lead to premature test termination. Ameliorating the unpleasantness of this type of exercise test with the use of virtual reality technology may prolong effort expenditure during the test and result in superior performance compared to a control condition.

Additionally, improving physiological function at submaximal work rates may lead to alterations in other important testing outcomes, particularly the ventilatory threshold. The ventilatory threshold is used as a reference point for prescribing exercise intensity. An intervention that modifies this value would have repercussions for physical fitness practitioners who prescribe exercise intensity relative to the ventilatory threshold.

The general purpose of this study is to determine the effect of virtual reality on maximal aerobic exercise test performance in healthy adults. The specific questions it aims to answer are:

• Does using a virtual reality program during a maximal aerobic exercise test lead to differences in VO2peak (maximal aerobic capacity)? and,
• Does using a virtual reality program during a maximal aerobic exercise test lead to differences in work rate at the ventilatory threshold?

Secondary questions this study aims to answer include:

Does using a virtual reality program during a maximal aerobic exercise test lead to differences in

• exercise test time?
• maximal heart rate during the exercise test?
• maximal respiratory exchange ratio (RER) during the exercise test?
• heart rate (HR) at the ventilatory threshold?
• RER at the ventilatory threshold?
• psychological response [rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and affective valence] throughout the exercise test?

To address these aims, participants will complete the same maximal aerobic exercise test on a cycler ergometer under normal laboratory conditions (Control) and when viewing an immersive virtual reality video (VR). The two tests will be completed in a randomized and counterbalanced order to account for learning or familiarity effects, and will be separated by 1 week to account for the effects of testing fatigue.

Respiratory data, HR, RPE, and affective valence were collected during the exercise tests to address the aims of the study.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 24
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Andrew R Moore, PhD; Phone Number: 650-477-7746; Email: andmoore@augusta.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Georgia
    • Augusta, Georgia, United States, 30909
      • Recruiting
      • Augusta University
      • Contact: Andrew R Moore, PhD; Phone Number: 650-477-7746; Email: andmoore@augusta.edu

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

-

Exclusion Criteria:

• Answering "YES" to one or more items on the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q).
• Women who are pregnant at the time of participation according to a pregnancy test.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Control condition completed first; In this arm, the Control condition (traditional maximal cardiorespiratory exercise test) will be completed first, and the Virtual Reality condition (traditional maximal cardiorespiratory exercise test with the addition of virtual reality video) will be completed second.	Behavioral: Virtual Reality condition; Participants will watch a video on a virtual reality headset during the completion of the maximal cardiorespiratory exercise test.; Behavioral: Control condition; Participants will complete the maximal cardiorespiratory exercise test under control conditions without video, music, or other distractions.
Experimental: Virtual Reality condition completed first; In this arm, the Virtual Reality condition (traditional maximal cardiorespiratory exercise test with the addition of virtual reality video) will be completed first, and the Control condition (traditional maximal cardiorespiratory exercise test) will be completed second.	Behavioral: Virtual Reality condition; Participants will watch a video on a virtual reality headset during the completion of the maximal cardiorespiratory exercise test.; Behavioral: Control condition; Participants will complete the maximal cardiorespiratory exercise test under control conditions without video, music, or other distractions.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
VO2peak	The highest level of oxygen uptake averaged over a 20-second period.	Assessed during the exercise test for each condition.
Ventilatory threshold	The work load (in Watts) during the maximal cardiorespiratory exercise test at which breakpoints are identified between metabolic measures associated with the ventilatory threshold (CO2 production and O2 utilization; ventilatory equivalent for O2 and O2 utilization; and excess CO2 production).	Assessed during the exercise test for each condition.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Peak power	The work load (in Watts) of the highest exercise test stage that was completed	Assessed during the exercise test for each condition.
Total test time	The duration of the test (in minutes), not including the warm-up.	Assessed during the exercise test for each condition.
RPE	Rating of Perceived Exertion measured from 0 (no perceived exertion) to 10 (maximal perceived exertion).	Assessed throughout the exercise test for each condition (at the end of the warm-up and end of every even-numbered stage)..
Affective Valence	Affective valence measured from -5 (feeling very bad) to +5 (feeling very good).	Assessed throughout the exercise test for each condition (at the end of the warm-up and end of every even-numbered stage)..
%VO2peak at ventilatory threshold	The percentage of VO2peak at which the ventilatory threshold was reached.	Assessed during the exercise test for each condition.
Heart rate at ventilatory threshold	The heart rate corresponding to the time that the ventilatory threshold was reached.	Assessed during the exercise test for each condition.
Heart rate at VO2peak	The heart rate (in beats per minute) at which VO2peak was reached.	Assessed during the exercise test for each condition.
Respiratory Exchange Ratio (RER) at VO2peak	The proportion of carbon dioxide production to oxygen consumption when VO2peak was reached.	Assessed during the exercise test for each condition.
Respiratory Exchange Ratio (RER) at ventilatory threshold	The proportion of carbon dioxide production to oxygen consumption when the ventilatory threshold was reached.	Assessed during the exercise test for each condition.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Augusta University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Andrew R Moore, PhD, Augusta University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 7, 2024
• Primary Completion (Estimated): October 7, 2024
• Study Completion (Estimated): October 7, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 13, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 13, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): June 18, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 21, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 19, 2024
• Last Verified: June 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: virtual reality; cardiorespiratory fitness; anaerobic threshold; bicycle ergometer test
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2130870

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No