Virtual Reality Training on Technical Skills, Training Load and Mental Fatigue in Football

Manisa Celal Bayar University24 enrolled

Overview

Virtual reality (VR) technology has emerged as a promising supplementary training tool in football, yet no study has simultaneously examined its effects on technical skills, training load, and mental fatigue within a randomized controlled design. This study evaluated the effects of an 8-week Rezzil Index® VR training program on football-specific technical skills, training load (sRPE), and mental fatigue in licensed male football players. Twenty-four male football players (age: 18.82±0.85 years) were randomly assigned to a VR training group (n=12) or a control group (n=12). The VR group completed two supplementary sessions per week using the Rezzil Index® application (HTC Vive Pro and Oculus Quest 2) in addition to regular team training. Football-specific technical skills, mental fatigue (Modified Color-Word Stroop Test), and training load (session RPE) were assessed pre- and post-intervention. The VR group demonstrated statistically significant improvements in all technical skill measures (p\<0.05; d=0.91-1.69, large effects). Rezzil Index® VR training is an effective complementary method for improving football-specific technical skills.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Athletic Performance Mental Fatigue

Interventions

Rezzil Index VRDEVICE

Immersive VR football training application (HTC Vive Pro and Oculus Quest 2), 2 sessions/week, 8 weeks

Regular Team TrainingBEHAVIORAL

Participants continued their standard club football training sessions as normal, with no additional VR-based or experimental intervention applied.

Eligibility

Sex: MALEMin age: 18 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Licensed male football players aged 18 years or older * Active participation in regular team training * No history of serious musculoskeletal injury in the past 6 months Exclusion Criteria: * History of serious injury or surgical intervention * Psychiatric or neurological conditions * Regular use of medication affecting cognitive performance * Prior experience with VR training systems

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Football-Specific Technical Skills (Heading, Moving Ball Striking, Fixed Ball Striking, Loughborough Soccer Passing Test)

Time frame: Baseline and Week 8

Secondary Outcomes

Training Load (Session Rating of Perceived Exertion - sRPE)

Internal training load quantified using session Rating of Perceived Exertion (sRPE), calculated as RPE × session duration (minutes).

Time frame: Weekly, 8 weeks

Mental Fatigue (Modified Color-Word Stroop Test)

Mental fatigue assessed using the Modified Color-Word Stroop Test, measuring reaction time (ms) and error rate. Longer reaction times and higher error rates indicate greater mental fatigue.