Virtual immersive sensorimotor training (VIST) in collegiate soccer athletes: A quasi-experimental study

Abstract

A burgeoning area of innovation in sports is the use of extended realities to provide athletes with novel training environments. Evidence has demonstrated that virtual environments can be useful therapeutic tools with demonstrated positive outcomes. The purpose of this pilot investigation was to determine the effects of virtual immersive sensorimotor training intervention by quantifying 1) the training effect measured via change in performance pre-to post-intervention on the virtual reality exercises, 2) the difference in the in clinical measures of functional sensorimotor control, 3) the injury incidence rate, and 4) on-field performance during soccer competitions. Statistical analyses were used to describe differences between an experimental and a control group. Participants were recruited from the men and women's soccer teams at two universities in the United States. Participants at one university were in the experimental group (n = 78) and received virtual immersive sensorimotor training, consisting of nine novel exercises in headset virtual reality, twice each week for six weeks. Participants at the second university were in the control group (n = 52). The virtual exercises were developed with reference to the rehabilitative principles of neuroplasticity to train various neurologic processes, contributing to overall sensorimotor control. This includes vestibular, visual and oculomotor activities, cervical neuromotor control training, movement coordination, and postural/balance exercises. The results indicate significant positive training effects pre-to post-intervention in seven of the nine training exercises (p ≤ 0.005) and improvement in clinical tests of cervical neuromotor control, balance, and inspection time (p ≤ 0.009) in the experimental group compared to the control. One of the virtual training exercises was positively associated with on-field performance (p = 0.022). No differences in injury rate or overall on-field performance metrics between the experimental and control were detected. This research study provides evidence of training and positive transfer from virtual to real-world environments, supporting the use of these novel virtual exercises to improve measures of sensorimotor control in healthy soccer athletes.

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Sports Medicine and Movement Sciences

“…This Special Issue bridging the gap between science and practice in the promotion of exercise and health and in the scientific assessment, study, and understanding of sports performance, sports injury prevention and treatment, exercise for health as non-surgical and nonpharmacological treatments, rehabilitation techniques, adapted physical activity, drugs in sport, and recommendations for training and nutrition. This Special issue comprises 3 review articles and 16 original research publications from a number of Sports Medicine and Sciences researchers [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24]. Taken together, these articles are…”

“…This Special issue comprises 3 review articles and 16 original research publications from a number of Sports Medicine and Movement Sciences researchers [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ]. Taken together, these articles are geared toward the advancement of our understanding Sports Medicine and Movement Sciences arena, including: Cognitive function; Brain health; Gait analysis; Biomechanics; Health sciences; Physiology; Physical activity; Occupational health; Musculoskeletal system; Evidence-based medicine; Aerobic threshold; Anaerobic threshold; Maximal oxygen uptake; Neuroscience; Exercise; Physical Activity; Balance; Metastability; Neuromuscular control; Prevention; Rehabilitation; Health Promotion; Anatomy; Health Technology; Three-dimensional motion analysis; Reliability; knee injury; Athletic pubalgia; Cardiology; Women's Health; Female athletes; Applied psychology; Clinical psychology; Paralympic sport; Goalball; Soccer; Cognitive psychology; Quality of life; Disability; Regenerative medicine; Osteoarthritis; Virtual reality; Sensorimotor control; Sports injury prevention; Epidemiology; Public health; Psychology; COVID-19; Pandemic; Quarantine; Home based exercise; IPAQ-SF; Psychological well-being; PGWBI; Nerve injury; Nerve regeneration; Therapeutic exercise; Wearable technologies; Sprint initiation; Step technique; Multi-directional movement; Novel training environments and digital devices; Adherence; Breast cancer; Lifestyle; Public Health and Digital Epidemiology.…”