In a groundbreaking new study unveiled at the 2025 American Physiology Summit, researchers revealed that simply viewing a hot virtual environment via VR can help the body cool off more efficiently during exercise. This innovative approach holds promise for athletes, military personnel, and outdoor workers in Thailand and around the world, suggesting a new direction for safe and effective heat acclimation training without ever leaving the room (Newswise).
Against the backdrop of rising temperatures and increased heat-related illnesses in Thailand, the findings offer timely insights. Bangkok, notorious for its sweltering climate, regularly sees heat advisories, with 2023 setting a new national record for highest temperature at 45.4°C in Tak province (Bangkok Post). Outdoor laborers, soldiers, and endurance athletes face mounting risks as global temperatures climb. The prospect of adapting to heat safely, efficiently, and cost-effectively is increasingly vital for the country’s public health and occupational safety.
The study involved five college-aged women who cycled for 40 minutes while viewing different VR environments via the “Nature Treks VR” app. When participants watched “Red Earth”—a simulation of a scorching Aussie outback—they experienced a smaller increase in core body temperature (by about 0.36°F or 0.2°C) than when viewing “White Winter,” a cold, snowy scene, even though the actual room temperature was the same. The researchers measured a roughly 20-gram increase in sweat in the warm VR scenario. While this difference wasn’t statistically significant in such a small study, it suggests VR scenes infused with warm colors and imagery can amplify the body’s instinctive cooling mechanisms.
Lead researcher, a graduate student at Boston University, explained, “Athletes or military personnel may be able to train for more extreme environments without having to physically travel to these zones. Our findings suggest that simply viewing a hot environment can act as a powerful stimulus for thermoregulatory processes, and it may play a larger role than we had previously thought” (Newswise).
The team’s setup was impressively simple: a stationary bicycle, a VR headset, an insulated grow tent, a heater, and a dehumidifier. This accessibility suggests wide potential for adoption, even in resource-limited training centers or schools across Thailand, where the cost of advanced heat chamber technology often puts proper acclimation out of reach. For Thai professional footballers, Muay Thai athletes or even Buddhist monks preparing for rigorous outdoor ceremonies, such virtual acclimation could reduce their risk of heatstroke and exhaustion.
Why does this matter for the Land of Smiles? Thailand’s health system frequently battles cases of heat exhaustion, especially during the hot season. According to the Department of Disease Control, nearly 1,000 people suffer heatstroke annually (DDC, Thai Ministry of Public Health). The new study’s suggestion that VR can be used to induce sweating and help bodies “learn” to manage heat, without resorting to genuine risky exposure, unlocks opportunities for safer pre-exposure training.
Historically, heat acclimatization for athletes and outdoor workers has relied on physical exposure to high temperatures, which can be logistically challenging and possibly dangerous. Existing lab-based heat chambers are expensive and rare outside elite athletic facilities. Integrating VR into training could democratize access, allowing local coaches, factories, and even schools in Thailand to facilitate preparation for the extreme heat.
Expert commentary from a Thai sports physiologist, reached for remarks regarding the study, notes: “If this approach proves effective in larger trials, it could transform how we prepare not just professional athletes, but also the wider workforce—from construction workers exposed to Bangkok’s midday sun to soldiers conducting field drills in rural provinces. Of course, more research is needed before wide adoption, but it is promising.”
Additionally, Thailand’s agricultural sector—employing over one-third of the population—frequently contends with outdoor heat exposure. VR-based acclimation could reduce incidents of heatstroke and lost workdays, contributing to both workers’ health and economic productivity. As one labor health and safety official outlined, “With temperatures rising, tools that help acclimate bodies safely, especially for those in remote or impoverished rural areas, could help close the urban-rural health gap.”
The cultural influence of colors and imagery should also be considered for maximum effect. The study’s VR scenarios used colors (reds, oranges, yellows) widely associated in Thai tradition with heat and the tropical sun, tapping into deep-rooted psychological cues. This could make VR even more powerful for Thai users, since color symbolism is an important aspect of Thai culture, from Buddhist rituals to festivals like Songkran (the Thai New Year famous for its water splashing as a cooling relief).
Looking ahead, future studies will need to confirm these results in larger, more diverse populations, ideally including men, older adults, and people with underlying health issues. Researchers hope to examine not only “passive” viewing but also active interaction within virtual worlds, and whether distinct cultural backgrounds modify how the brain processes virtual heat. If validated, VR could become an essential, easy-to-implement tool in health and occupational safety training programs nationwide.
For Thai readers, the implications are clear: VR-based heat acclimatization could soon be easily implemented in local gyms, schools, and workplaces—making preparation for heat exposure safer, cheaper, and more widespread. As Thailand continues to face rising temperatures, such science-driven tools may play a pivotal role in safeguarding public health.
Practical recommendations for Thais include:
- Encouraging educational, military, and sports institutions to pilot VR acclimatization sessions for at-risk groups;
- Supporting further Thai academic research to tailor VR content to local cultural cues and heat health challenges;
- Raising awareness among coaches, workers, and public health officials about the potential for VR in occupational health;
- Exploring partnerships between the Ministry of Public Health, universities, and tech developers to expand access to this technology.
For further reading, see the original study’s coverage on Newswise and recent climate reports by the Bangkok Post, and refer to public health statistics from Thailand’s Department of Disease Control.