Dr. Simon Benson GP Specialty Trainee

Introduction Prevalence of overweight children increasing sharply Associated with higher risk of adulthood obesity and associated health risks and problems Traditional exercise programs can be effective at improving weight loss, insulin sensitivity, and spontaneous actvity. Overweight children are less likely to participate in these programs Enter > EXERGAMING

Introduction Exergaming is a video game that requires interactive physical activity Integrates play with exercise Two “exergames” were evaluated on two different platforms – (Sony Playstation 2 and Nintendo Wii) Has been described in lay media as potential to provide exercise stimulus No data on physiological response Compared to walking on treadmill

Methods 23 healthy children (14 boys, 9 girls) aged Recruited locally Two visits Dance Dance Revolution on visit one Wii play and treadmill on visit two Fasted for 4hours prior except water Constant temperature and humidity Each visit started with a 20 minute rest phase

Method Visit One Rest – 20 mins DDR level one – 15mins Rest 2 minutes DDR level two – 15mins Rest – 15 mins

Methods Visit Two Rest – 20 mins Wii bowling – 15mins Rest 2 minutes Wii boxing – 15 mins Rest 15 mins Treadmill :2.6 km/hr (6mins) 4.2 km/hr (6mins) 5.7 km/hr (6mins)

Methods Measurements Expired oxygen Expired carbon dioxide Heart Rate Footstep Rate Perceived Exertion Arterial Elasticity

Results Treadmill high equivalent Treadmill low equivalent Rest equivalent ■ Boys □ Girls

Results

Discussion Both Wii sports and DDR elicit increases in energy expenditure, heart rate and perceived exertion. Similar to or exceeding moderate intensity walking Help counter the effects of sedentary behaviour Important factor is the entertainment value Recommend 60 mins moderate activity per day on most days of the week – study shows DDR / Wii sports fulfills this requirement.

Conclusions Activity promoting video games increase energy expenditure equivalent to moderate intensity walking Encouraged to be more physically attractive Overuse injuries comparable to other pursuits Small study Need more data on effect of body composition