Validity of heart rate, caloric expenditure and evaluation of the affective response of an exercise session with virtual reality

Virtual reality (VR) technologies offers positive experiences through the immersion on an environment rich in audiovisual stimuli. However, there is limited evidence comparing the acute effects of VR exercise compared to a matched exercise outside the VR environment. The study aimed to compare the acute affective, pleasure, enjoyment, perceived exertion and heart rate responses of an immersive VR exercise session and a non-VR exercise session. This is a crossover randomized clinical trial with a convenience sample of healthy adults. The sessions last 8-12 minutes, with three difficulties: Beginner, intermediate and hard of three exercise types, box, high intensity interval training (HIIT) or dance in the FITXR Limited app. The difficulty and type were self-selected. The time, difficulty and exercise type of the non-VR exercise were matched to VR exercise. Before and immediately after each session, participants responded to the Borg’s Perceived Exertion Scale, the Feeling Scale and the Felt Arousal Scale, and the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES). The analyses were conducted with Generalized Linear Models, Wilcoxon’s and T-test for paired samples. A total of 83 adults (40 females) aged 35.46 years were included in the study. In affect, the difference represented an increase higher than 290% of VR related to non-VR. In arousal this difference was 21,6%. The pleasure and enjoyment median after the VR session was higher. The immersive VR exercise was more strenuous, but resulted in a better affective response, greater pleasure and enjoyment.