Effect Of Exercise Setting On Energy Expenditure And Enjoyment During Active Virtual Reality Gaming

Abstract

PURPOSE: Recent work by our lab (Gomez, et al., 2018) has shown that active virtual reality games (AVRGs) can elicit exercise intensities that meet American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommended exercise guidelines for preventative health benefits. However, much of the work focusing on this topic has been limited to laboratory settings. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in energy expenditure (VO2) and enjoyment of college-aged students while playing AVRGs in different settings (i.e., lab, gym, home). METHODS: A repeated measures design was used with 32 participants (16 males, 16 females, Age = 22.6 ± 2.6 years), all of whom completed two 45-minute AVRG sessions in the lab and gym. A subset of 4 participants completed an additional AVRG session at home. RESULTS: Significant differences in VO2 were observed among the three AVRGs (F (1, 28) = 9.128, p = .005; range = 13.53 - 23.04 ml/kg/min). However, there were no differences between settings in VO2 or enjoyment (p > .05). CONCLUSIONS: Different AVRGs elicit varying exercise intensities, yet the setting in which they are played does not affect VO2 or perceived enjoyment. These results suggest AVRGs can be studied reliably across multiple settings (lab, gym, and home) without having to consider environmental influences. As VR systems become more accessible and affordable, future research should continue investigating the effects of AVRGs during at-home play.