%0 Journal Article 
%A Keller, Nathan
%A Whittle, Richard S.
%A McHenry, Neil
%A Johnston, Adam
%A Duncan, Colton
%A Ploutz-Snyder, Lori
%A González de la Torre Benítez, Gabriel
%A Sheffield-Moore, Melinda
%A Chamitoff, Gregory
%A Diaz-Artiles, Ana
%T Virtual Reality "exergames": A promising countermeasure to improve motivation and restorative effects during long duration spaceflight missions
%D 2022
%@ 1664-042X
%U http://hdl.handle.net/10498/28866
%X 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.
%K sprint protocol
%K HIIT (high intensity interval training)
%K resistance exercise
%K aerobic exercise
%K biometric
%K exergaming
%~ Universidad de Cádiz