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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Sports Act. Living
Sec. Sports Science, Technology and Engineering
Volume 7 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fspor.2025.1497161
This article is part of the Research TopicInvestigating VR in Sports Training: Cognitive and Performance ImpactsView all articles
Virtual Reality and Sports Performance: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials Exploring Balance
Provisionally accepted
Giuseppe Annino1*
Ida Cariati1
Roberto Bonanni2
Pierangelo Cifelli3
Giovanna D'Arcangelo1
Elvira Padua4
Virginia Tancredi1- 1Department of Systems Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
- 2Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Lazio, Italy
- 3Department of Applied Clinical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
- 4Department of Human Science and Promotion of Quality of Life, San Raffaele Telematic University, Rome, Lazio, Italy
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Our systematic literature review aimed to select randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in which virtual reality (VR) has been used in athletes or players to evaluate the effectiveness of this technology in gaining performance. In accordance with PRISMA guidelines, a systematic literature search was conducted in the MEDLINE, Scopus and Web of Science databases using the keyword set ((Virtual reality) OR (VR)) AND ((Athletes) OR (Players)) AND ((Performance) OR (Balance)). Peer-reviewed articles published within the last ten years in English and open access were included. The methodological quality of the articles was assessed using the Jadad scale, while the eligibility criteria were evaluated using the PICOS approach. Specifically, six RCTs were selected, one of which scored 5/5 on the Jadad scale, four scored 3/5 and one scored 2/5. Importantly, five RCTs found a positive influence of VR on performance in terms of balance, stability, sprinting, jumping, neurocognitive function, reaction time and technical skills, while only one RCT found no difference in these parameters. In conclusion, the results included in our systematic review showed that VR seems to have a positive effect in improving sports performance. However, the heterogeneity of the studies did not allow for a comparison of the data to clarify the relevance of VR technology in performance, suggesting the need for in-depth investigations to confirm its efficacy in sports.
Keywords: virtual reality, sport performance, balance, Athletes, players, training, Sports, RCTs
Received: 16 Sep 2024; Accepted: 07 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Annino, Cariati, Bonanni, Cifelli, D'Arcangelo, Padua and Tancredi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Giuseppe Annino, Department of Systems Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
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