Virtual Reality “exergames”: A promising countermeasure to improve motivation and restorative effects during long duration spaceflight missions
Long duration spaceflight missions will require novel exercise systems to protect astronaut crew from the detrimental effects of microgravity exposure. The SPRINT protocol is a novel and promising exercise prescription that combines aerobic and resistive training using a flywheel device, and it was...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Physiology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2022.932425/full |
| _version_ | 1811241997161201664 |
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| author | Nathan Keller Nathan Keller Richard S. Whittle Neil McHenry Adam Johnston Colton Duncan Lori Ploutz-Snyder Gabriel G. De La Torre Melinda Sheffield-Moore Melinda Sheffield-Moore Gregory Chamitoff Ana Diaz-Artiles Ana Diaz-Artiles |
| author_facet | Nathan Keller Nathan Keller Richard S. Whittle Neil McHenry Adam Johnston Colton Duncan Lori Ploutz-Snyder Gabriel G. De La Torre Melinda Sheffield-Moore Melinda Sheffield-Moore Gregory Chamitoff Ana Diaz-Artiles Ana Diaz-Artiles |
| author_sort | Nathan Keller |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Long duration spaceflight missions will require novel exercise systems to protect astronaut crew from the detrimental effects of microgravity exposure. The SPRINT protocol is a novel and promising exercise prescription that combines aerobic and resistive training using a flywheel device, and it was successfully employed in a 70-day bed-rest study as well as onboard the International Space Station. Our team created a VR simulation to further augment the SPRINT protocol when using a flywheel ergometer training device (the Multi-Mode Exercise Device or M-MED). The simulation aspired to maximal realism in a virtual river setting while providing real-time biometric feedback on heart rate performance to subjects. In this pilot study, five healthy, male, physically-active subjects aged 35 ± 9.0 years old underwent 2 weeks of SPRINT protocol, either with or without the VR simulation. After a 1-month washout period, subjects returned for a subsequent 2 weeks in the opposite VR condition. We measured physiological and cognitive variables of stress, performance, and well-being. While physiological effects did not suggest much difference with the VR condition over 2 weeks, metrics of motivation, affect, and mood restoration showed detectable differences, or trended toward more positive outcomes than exercise without VR. These results provide evidence that a well-designed VR “exergaming” simulation with biometric feedback could be a beneficial addition to exercise prescriptions, especially if users are exposed to isolation and confinement. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T13:45:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-068961a2ce34444c8832399d5050f94e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-042X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T13:45:23Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Physiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-068961a2ce34444c8832399d5050f94e2022-12-22T03:30:42ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Physiology1664-042X2022-10-011310.3389/fphys.2022.932425932425Virtual Reality “exergames”: A promising countermeasure to improve motivation and restorative effects during long duration spaceflight missionsNathan Keller0Nathan Keller1Richard S. Whittle2Neil McHenry3Adam Johnston4Colton Duncan5Lori Ploutz-Snyder6Gabriel G. De La Torre7Melinda Sheffield-Moore8Melinda Sheffield-Moore9Gregory Chamitoff10Ana Diaz-Artiles11Ana Diaz-Artiles12Department of Health and Kinesiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United StatesDepartment of Aerospace Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United StatesDepartment of Aerospace Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United StatesDepartment of Aerospace Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United StatesDepartment of Aerospace Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United StatesDepartment of Aerospace Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United StatesMovement Science Program, School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United StatesDepartment of Psychology, University of Cadiz, Cadiz, SpainDepartment of Health and Kinesiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United StatesDepartment of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United StatesDepartment of Aerospace Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United StatesDepartment of Health and Kinesiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United StatesDepartment of Aerospace Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United StatesLong duration spaceflight missions will require novel exercise systems to protect astronaut crew from the detrimental effects of microgravity exposure. The SPRINT protocol is a novel and promising exercise prescription that combines aerobic and resistive training using a flywheel device, and it was successfully employed in a 70-day bed-rest study as well as onboard the International Space Station. Our team created a VR simulation to further augment the SPRINT protocol when using a flywheel ergometer training device (the Multi-Mode Exercise Device or M-MED). The simulation aspired to maximal realism in a virtual river setting while providing real-time biometric feedback on heart rate performance to subjects. In this pilot study, five healthy, male, physically-active subjects aged 35 ± 9.0 years old underwent 2 weeks of SPRINT protocol, either with or without the VR simulation. After a 1-month washout period, subjects returned for a subsequent 2 weeks in the opposite VR condition. We measured physiological and cognitive variables of stress, performance, and well-being. While physiological effects did not suggest much difference with the VR condition over 2 weeks, metrics of motivation, affect, and mood restoration showed detectable differences, or trended toward more positive outcomes than exercise without VR. These results provide evidence that a well-designed VR “exergaming” simulation with biometric feedback could be a beneficial addition to exercise prescriptions, especially if users are exposed to isolation and confinement.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2022.932425/fullsprint protocolHIIT (high intensity interval training)resistance exerciseaerobic exercisebiometricexergaming |
| spellingShingle | Nathan Keller Nathan Keller Richard S. Whittle Neil McHenry Adam Johnston Colton Duncan Lori Ploutz-Snyder Gabriel G. De La Torre Melinda Sheffield-Moore Melinda Sheffield-Moore Gregory Chamitoff Ana Diaz-Artiles Ana Diaz-Artiles Virtual Reality “exergames”: A promising countermeasure to improve motivation and restorative effects during long duration spaceflight missions Frontiers in Physiology sprint protocol HIIT (high intensity interval training) resistance exercise aerobic exercise biometric exergaming |
| title | Virtual Reality “exergames”: A promising countermeasure to improve motivation and restorative effects during long duration spaceflight missions |
| title_full | Virtual Reality “exergames”: A promising countermeasure to improve motivation and restorative effects during long duration spaceflight missions |
| title_fullStr | Virtual Reality “exergames”: A promising countermeasure to improve motivation and restorative effects during long duration spaceflight missions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Virtual Reality “exergames”: A promising countermeasure to improve motivation and restorative effects during long duration spaceflight missions |
| title_short | Virtual Reality “exergames”: A promising countermeasure to improve motivation and restorative effects during long duration spaceflight missions |
| title_sort | virtual reality exergames a promising countermeasure to improve motivation and restorative effects during long duration spaceflight missions |
| topic | sprint protocol HIIT (high intensity interval training) resistance exercise aerobic exercise biometric exergaming |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2022.932425/full |
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