Responses in Posttherapy Recovery-Based Virtual Reality With Blood Flow Restriction in Older Women: A Randomized Crossover Clinical Trial

Blood flow restriction (BFR) and virtual reality-based therapy (VRT) are widely used interventions. However, no studies have investigated the combined effects of these therapies on autonomic, hemodynamic, and perceptual outcomes in older women. Therefore, the purpose was to evaluate the autonomic and hemodynamic behavior following VRT-BRF in older women, and to identify the perceptual responses during and after exercise recovery. A randomized crossover clinical trial was conducted with 17 older women randomly divided into three groups with a washout period of 7 days between sessions: VRT-BFR (40%), only VRT, and control. VRT was performed using the Nintendo Wii video game. For all groups, hemodynamic parameters (heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure, double product) and the RR intervals were collected. Subsequently, the randomized intervention was performed and, for the VRT-BFR and VRT groups, autonomic parameters, signs and symptoms, and perceived effort were monitored during the games. Immediately after the interventions, a recovery period was initiated during outcomes were collected again for 60 min. In the recovery period for the VRT-BFR group, RR intervals showed a significant decrease from baseline until the 30th minute of recovery, heart rate showed a significant increase between baseline and the first and third minutes, and the double product showed a significant increase between baseline and the first minute. However, there was no statistical difference between groups, as well as group-time interaction. In conclusion, the VRT-BFR did not cause autonomic, hemodynamic, and perceptual imbalance in postexercise recovery.