Virtual reality exercise platforms and the possibility for novel, engaging research in sport, exercise and health

Performance and Pacing Profiles of Competitive Track Events for Elite Athletes With Intellectual Impairment With and Without Additional Significant Impairments

PURPOSE

To compare the pacing profiles of elite track athletes with intellectual impairments (II) and those with Down syndrome (DS) in 400- and 1,500-m track events.

METHODS

The pacing data of 67 elite runners participating in the final 400-m (both genders) and 1,500-m (only males) track events of the Global Games (2023) were analyzed. Runners competed in two classes: a class for runners with II (without DS) and a separate class for runners with DS.

RESULTS

For the 400-m event, male and female runners in both classes decelerated from the first segment (0-200 m) to the second segment (200-400 m) as the time main effect was significant (p < .001); however, the pacing strategy for both genders differed between the II and DS class as reported by the significant Gender × Class interaction effect (p < .001). The running velocity over the two segments of the race decreased more significantly for the II runners without DS. There was also a significant interaction effect for the 1,500-m race (p < .001). The DS runners show a more significant drop in running velocity over the split times of the race and with more varied fluctuations compared with the II runners without DS.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the significant differences in pacing between 400- and 1,500-m elite runners with II and with and without DS. Elite runners with DS run at an overall slower velocity and follow a significantly different pacing pattern compared with runners with II without DS. Our findings show that runners with DS are less able to regulate their exercise intensity over the race than runners with II without DS.

Impact of virtual reality immersion on exercise performance and perceptions in young, middle-aged and older adults

This study compared the effect of high and low levels of virtual reality (VR) immersion during moderate and high intensity cycling-exercise in younger (18-35 years), middle-aged (36-50 years), and older (51-69 years) adults. Thirty participants (5 female and 5 males per age group) completed moderate (steady state: 15 minutes at 60-75% maximum heart rate (MHR)) and high (sprint: 10 x 30 second sprints at 75-85% MHR) intensity cycling in four conditions: VR using a head-mounted display (High HMD), room-projector (Low Room), screen-projector (Low Screen) and No VR. Exercise performance measures (cadence, distance, power output) were recorded. Following each VR condition, exercise enjoyment (PACES) and exercise engagement (Flow State Scale) were measured. Results showed that exercise intensity had a significant effect of age on; heart rate (steady state and sprint), cadence (sprint) and distance (sprint) (p's <0.05). A significant effect of condition was observed during the sprint exercise for heart rate (p < 0.05). No other significant condition effects were observed for exercise performance. Significant effects of condition were identified for exercise engagement relating to sense of control (p < 0.01) and loss of self-consciousness (p < 0.05) with the highest values occurring in the Low Screen condition for all age groups, while transformation of time was significantly different (p < 0.05) for the middle-aged adults (highest during High VR and Low Screen). These results indicate that irrespective of age, participants found themselves in control and immersed more during the Low Screen VR condition than the other VR and No VR conditions. The findings indicate that VR immersion impacts exercise performance and exercise engagement in different age-groups and therefore should be considered when using VR to promote exercise behaviour.

Supporting athletes during a challenging situation: recommendations from a global insight of COVID-19 home-based training experience

BACKGROUND

For athletes, overcoming obstacles in challenging situations like pandemic home training is crucial. Strategies and approaches in this context are not well-documented. Our study aims to investigate such a scenario from a performance standpoint, based on a major global crisis: the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study surveyed athletes without disabilities using online questionnaires (35 languages) from May to July 2020. Questions included aspects of alternative routines, training monitoring, recovery, sleep patterns, injury occurrence/prevention based on structured answers, and an open-ended question on lockdown training experiences.

RESULTS

Of the 11,762 athletes from 142 countries, 63% were male, including at World-Class, International, National, State and Recreational levels. During lockdown, 25% athletes used innovative or modern ways to maintain or improve fitness e.g., virtual reality and tracking devices (favoring World-Class level, 30%). Many athletes, regardless of gender (43%) watched video competitions to improve/maintain their mental skills and performance [World-Class (47%) and International (51%)]. Contact frequency between athletes and their coaches was mainly at least once a week (36%), more among higher-level (World-Class/International) than lower-level athletes (27 vs. 16%). Higher-level athletes (≥ 54%) monitored training load and were assisted by their coaches (21%). During lockdown, stretching (67%) was considered one of the primary means of recovery, especially for higher-level athletes (> 70%). Compared to pre-lockdown, about two-thirds of athletes reported "normal" or "improved" sleep quality and quantity, suggesting a low sleep quality pre-lockdown. On average, 40% utilized injury prevention exercises (at least) once a week [World-Class (51%) and International (39%)]. Most injury occurrences during lockdown involved the knee (18%), ankle (16%), and back (9%). Four key themes emerged regarding lockdown experiences: remote training adaptation (e.g., shifting training focus), training creativity (e.g., using household items), performance enhancement opportunities (e.g., refocusing neglected aspects), and mental and motivation challenges.

CONCLUSIONS

Both male and female athletes, particularly those of higher levels, displayed some adaptalibity during the COVID-19 lockdown, employing innovative approaches and technology for training. Many athletes implemented load monitoring, recovery, and attentive of injury prevention, while optimizing their sleep quality and quantity. Athletes demonstrated their abilities to navigate challenges, and utilized different coping strategies in response to the lockdown's constraints.