Using virtual reality (VR) can increase people's endurance and lower their heart-rate during physical exercise, according to researchers at the School of Engineering and Digital Arts at Kent University. Their study used 40 participants wearing VR headsets, displaying an artificial environment including a representation of their own arm, and 40 not wearing the headsets. Those using VR lasted on average 1 minute longer and had a heart-rate three beats per second lower than the control group when asked to perform an isometric bicep curl at 20% of their maximum strength. The VR group reported feeling less pain and effort.
Using virtual reality (VR) can increase people's endurance and lower their heart-rate during physical exercise, according to researchers at the School of Engineering and Digital Arts at Kent University. Their study used 40 participants wearing VR headsets, displaying an artificial environment including a representation of their own arm, and 40 not wearing the headsets. Those using VR lasted on average two minutes longer and had a heart-rate three beats per second lower than the control group when asked to perform an isometric bicep curl at 20% of their maximum strength. The VR group reported feeling less pain and effort.