VR Stimulation of Exercise Response in Sedentary Humans

Prolonged sedentary conditions contribute to declining health across human populations and cause significant secondary health consequences for many patients whose illnesses or injuries prevent them from exercising. The investigators have demonstrated that in a small animal fruit fly model, genetic stimulation of neurons that promote adrenergic signaling is sufficient to mimic the benefits of exercise training even in sedentary animals. The investigator's pilot work in humans has confirmed that humans respond to Virtual Reality (VR) stimuli that mimic exercise by increasing heart rate and altering heart rate variability in a way consistent with increased adrenergic activity.

In this study, the investigators will directly test for the first time whether repeated, controlled exposure to VR stimuli that induce adrenergic activity in sedentary humans can produce adaptive changes to protein expression and endurance performance like those produced by actual exercise in pre-diabetic participants with/without hypertension.