VR Stimulation of Exercise Response in Sedentary Humans

Prolonged sedentary conditions contribute to declining health across human populations and cause significant secondary health consequences for many patients whose illnesses or injuries prevent them from exercising. The investigators have demonstrated that in a small animal fruit fly model, genetic stimulation of neurons that promote adrenergic signaling is sufficient to mimic the benefits of exercise training even in sedentary animals. The investigator's pilot work in humans has confirmed that humans respond to Virtual Reality (VR) stimuli that mimic exercise by increasing heart rate and altering heart rate variability in a way consistent with increased adrenergic activity.

In this study, the investigators will directly test for the first time whether repeated, controlled exposure to VR stimuli that induce adrenergic activity in sedentary humans can produce adaptive changes to protein expression and endurance performance like those produced by actual exercise in pre-diabetic participants with/without hypertension.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Metabolic Syndrome; Prolonged Inactivity
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: 20 minutes cycling exercise; Behavioral: Virtual Reality

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 48
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Alyson Sujkowski, PhD; Phone Number: 419-461-4317; Email: asujkows@med.wayne.edu
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Robert J Wessells, PhD; Phone Number: 7344764325

Study Locations

• United States
  • Michigan
    • Detroit, Michigan, United States, 48201
      • Recruiting
      • Wayne State University
      • Contact: Alyson Sujkowski, PhD; Phone Number: 419-461-4317; Email: asujkows@med.wayne.edu
      • Contact: Robert J Wessells, PhD; Phone Number: 734-476-4325; Email: rwessell@med.wayne.edu

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Equal numbers male and female (32 each)
2. Blood glucose HbA1C: 5.7-6.4% or 100-125 mg/dL
3. BP: systolic<120 and diastolic<80 mmHg, systolic 120-129 mmHg and diastolic <80 mmHg, or systolic >130 mmHg and diastolic >80 mmHg

Exclusion Criteria:

1. BMI>35kg/m2
2. Currently involved in an exercise program or similar activity
3. Taking medications that could affect results, including beta-blockers or SSRIs
4. Demonstrate any form of discomfort with the VR experience through self-reported feelings of anxiety or nausea
5. Alcohol consumption above a minimal level(<2 oz/night)
6. BP: Systolic >160 mmHg and Diastolic >110 mmHg

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: EX-20 minutes sub max cycling exercise; 20 minutes cycling exercise	Behavioral: 20 minutes cycling exercise; 20 minutes cycling exercise
Experimental: VR-virtual reality exercise; 20 minutes virtual cycling	Behavioral: Virtual Reality; 20 minutes virtual cycling
Active Comparator: VR+: 20 minutes sub max cycling exercise + virtual reality; 20 minutes cycling exercise + 20 minutes virtual cycling	Behavioral: 20 minutes cycling exercise; 20 minutes cycling exercise; Behavioral: Virtual Reality; 20 minutes virtual cycling

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Blood Glucose, HbA1C	Pre-diabetic patients (Blood glucose 100-125 mg/dL, AbA1C 5.7-6.4%) may see improvement in values post-intervention	10 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
10 minute walk time	distance walked in 10 minutes is recorded pre- and post- intervention and may improve	10 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Wayne State University
• Collaborators: National Institute on Aging (NIA)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Robert J Wessells, PhD, Wayne State University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 30, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 18, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 18, 2025
• First Posted (Estimated): December 22, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): December 23, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 19, 2025
• Last Verified: December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Exercise; insulin resistance; virtual reality; metabolic syndrome
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Metabolic Diseases; Glucose Metabolism Disorders; Hyperinsulinism; Behavior; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Metabolic Syndrome; Insulin Resistance; Motor Activity
• Other Study ID Numbers: IRB-23-06-5927; 5R01AG059683-07 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Data from human studies will be shared in aggregate and/or deidentified form at the time of publication and backed up on shared drives among the study personnel according to the terms of the Institutional Review Board and the approved consent forms. Identifying data will be kept in a locked cabinet under supervision of the PI and destroyed at the conclusion of the study

Drug and device information, study documents

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