Impact of Virtual Reality Usage on Subjective Fatigue During Ergometer Exercise
Poster No:
2032
Submission Type:
Abstract Submission
Authors:
Kunihiko Anami1, Soichiro Aki1, Taisei Ueda2, Rinto Kuge3, Aine Takeshita1, Yoshiki Maeda1, Hideki Nakano4
Institutions:
1Naragakuen University, Nara-shi, Nara, 2Gakkentoshi Hospital, Seika-cho, Kyoto, 3Shimada Hospital, Habikino-shi, Osaka, 4Kyoto Tachibana University, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
First Author:
Co-Author(s):
Introduction:
Physical activity in community-dwelling individuals is essential for disease prevention and reducing mortality (Inoue M, et al., Ann Epidemiol, 2008). Among various forms of physical activity, cycling on an ergometer is a feasible and accessible daily exercise. Auditory and visual stimuli during ergometer cycling have been shown to influence exercise efficiency and autonomic nervous system activity. However, subjective fatigue during VR-based ergometer cycling remain insufficiently understood. This study aims to elucidate subjective fatigue during VR-assisted ergometer cycling and contribute to the development of new therapeutic strategies in respiratory rehabilitation.
Methods:
Fifteen healthy young adults (mean age: 20.9 ± 0.4 years) participated in this study. A crossover trial design was used. Each participant performed two tasks: Ergometer with VR (E with VR) and Ergometer without VR (E without VR) (Figure 1A). The cycling was performed under constant heart rate load. The target heart rate was set at 60% of the predicted maximum heart rate (220 – age), with a pedal cadence of 60 rpm. Measurements were taken at baseline, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes (end), and 5 minutes post-exercise. A washout period of at least 3 hours was ensured between tasks.
The ergometer used was an Aerobike (KONAMI Corp.), and the VR system utilized was the Oculus Quest 2 (Meta Corp.) with the VZFit application. Synchronization between the VR system and the ergometer was achieved using the Wahoo RPM cadence sensor (Figure 1B). Upon completing the VR-assisted task, the Igroup Presence Questionnaire (IPQ) was administered to evaluate the sense of immersion. Subjective fatigue was assessed using the modified Borg scale.
Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 28.0. Lower limb fatigue with and without VR was compared using split-plot ANOVA, followed by Bonferroni post hoc tests. The significance level was set at 5%. The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and informed consent was obtained from all participants. Ethical approval was granted by the institutional research ethics committee (Approval No.: 4-R013).
The ergometer used was an Aerobike (KONAMI Corp.), and the VR system utilized was the Oculus Quest 2 (Meta Corp.) with the VZFit application. Synchronization between the VR system and the ergometer was achieved using the Wahoo RPM cadence sensor (Figure 1B). Upon completing the VR-assisted task, the Igroup Presence Questionnaire (IPQ) was administered to evaluate the sense of immersion. Subjective fatigue was assessed using the modified Borg scale.
Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 28.0. Lower limb fatigue with and without VR was compared using split-plot ANOVA, followed by Bonferroni post hoc tests. The significance level was set at 5%. The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and informed consent was obtained from all participants. Ethical approval was granted by the institutional research ethics committee (Approval No.: 4-R013).
Results:
Statistical analysis revealed no significant interaction between tasks with or without VR (Figure 2A). However, a significant interaction was observed concerning the presence or absence of immersion. Furthermore, the group with immersion exhibited significantly higher scores post-exercise compared to the group without immersion (p < 0.05; Figure 2B).
Conclusions:
The results of this study suggest that the presence or absence of VR does not affect the reduction of lower limb fatigue during ergometer cycling. On the other hand, individuals with a higher sense of immersion in VR experienced greater subjective lower limb fatigue than those with lower immersion. These findings indicate that immersion in VR influences subjective symptoms and may enhance exercise efficiency.
Perception, Attention and Motor Behavior:
Perception: Multisensory and Crossmodal 1
Perception: Pain and Visceral 2
Keywords:
Pain
Physical Therapy
1|2Indicates the priority used for review