title: Virtual reality and exercise: behavioral and psychological effects of visual feedback.
abstract: We herein report an experimental study examining the potential positive effects of Virtual Reality (VR) feedback during an indoor bicycling exercise. Using a regular bike coupled to a VR system, we compared conditions of no VR feedback, VR feedback and VR feedback with the presence of a virtual coach, acting as a pacer. In VR feedback conditions, we observed a decreased level of perceived exertion and an increased level of enjoyment of physical activity, when compared to a regular exercise situation (no VR feedback). We also observed a shift in the subjects' attentional focus, from association (in the absence of VR feedback) to dissociation (in VR feedback conditions). Moreover, the presence of a virtual coach in the VR environment triggered a systematic regulation of the (virtual) displacement speed, whose relationship with perceived enjoyment and exertion require further work.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Movement Sciences, CNRS & Aix-Marseille University, France. daniel.mestre@uivmed.fr
authors.forename: Daniel R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Mestre
authors.forename: Marine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ewald
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maiano
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention; D001642:Bicycling; D003198:Computer Simulation; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D005082:Physical Exertion; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D055815:Young Adult