Comparing the Cognitive and Physiological Effects of Traditional and Virtual Reality Exercise in Overweight/Obese Adults: A Pilot Study

Research suggests that overweight/obese adults (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) have an elevated risk of cognitive decline. Although exercise is recommended to improve both physical and cognitive health, adherence is often low in this population. Virtual reality (VR) is an emerging strategy that may enhance exercise engagement. This pilot study compared the effects of traditional (TRAD) cycling and VR-based exercise on cognitive performance and prefrontal cortex (PFC) oxygenation (O2Hb). Eleven adults (M = 6, F = 5; BMI: 31.1 ± 2.8 kg/m2; VO2max: 30.4 ± 5.7 mL/kg/min) completed a VO2max test and two 16 min moderate-intensity cycling sessions (TRAD, VR) on separate days, each followed by a Stroop task (four rounds of 30 trials). Exercise intensity did not differ between conditions (TRAD: %HRmax 73.9 ± 4.2, RPE 12.9 ± 1.5, BLa− 2.5 ± 1.3; VR: %HRmax 74.0 ± 5.6, RPE 12.7 ± 1.4, BLa− 2.7 ± 1.7). Stroop accuracy was similar between conditions; however, response time was faster post-TRAD in round two (p = 0.005) and round three (p = 0.004). No significant differences in PFC O2Hb were observed. These preliminary results suggest that both TRAD cycling and VR-based exercise are feasible modes of moderate-intensity exercise in overweight/obese adults, with largely comparable post-exercise cognitive outcomes. Larger, counterbalanced studies are warranted.