Cycling with video feedback improves performance in untrained, but not in trained women

The objectives of this study were to assess whether exercise performance responses could be altered when subjects were exposed to interactive video feedback and music (VFM), compared to music only feedback (M). Ten women, 5 well-trained (46.4 ± 4.7 ml × kg(-1) × min(-1)) and 5 untrained (34.5 ± 5.7 ml × kg(-1) × min(-1)) participated in the study. Neither the trained nor the untrained group exhibited significant differences in HR and VO2 between the VFM and M conditions. The trained subjects cycled at similar speeds and for similar distances during the VFM and M conditions, and also cycled at a higher average speed (23.5 ± 2.1 vs. 15.6 ± 3.2 km × h(-1)) and further (11.9 ± 1.1 vs. 7.8 ± 1.6 km) than the untrained subjects (p < 0.01). The untrained subjects cycled further and faster in the VFM versus M condition (p < 0.05), and both the average speed (15.6 ± 3.2 vs. 13.9 ± 2.3 km × h(-1)) and average distance cycled (7.8 ± 1.6 vs. 7.0 ± 1.2 km) were also improved in the VFM versus M condition (p < 0.05). No group or exercise condition differences were observed for ratings of perceived exertion or psychological performance. We conclude that VFM does not improve cycling performance in trained women, but untrained women cycle faster and further during a 30-min exercise session when exposed to a combination of interactive video and music feedback.