Sweating Avatars Decrease Perceived Exertion and Increase Perceived Endurance while Cycling in Virtual Reality

Avatars are used to represent users in virtual reality (VR) and create embodied experiences. Previous work showed that avatars’ stereotypical appearance can affect users’ physical performance and perceived exertion while exercising in VR. Although sweating is a natural human response to physical effort, surprisingly little is known about the effects of sweating avatars on users. Therefore, we conducted a study with 24 participants to explore the effects of sweating avatars while cycling in VR. We found that visualizing sweat decreases the perceived exertion and increases perceived endurance. Thus, users feel less exerted while embodying sweating avatars. We conclude that sweating avatars contribute to more effective exergames and fitness applications.