Assessment of Active Video Games’ Energy Expenditure in Children with Overweight and Obesity and Differences by Gender

Abstract

(1) Background: Childhood obesity has become a main global health problem and active video games (AVG) could be used to increase energy expenditure. The aim of this study was to investigate the energy expenditure during an AVG intervention combined with exercise, differentiating by gender. (2) Methods: A total of 45 children with overweight or obesity (19 girls) performed an AVG intervention combined with exercise. The AVG used were the Xbox Kinect, Nintendo Wii, dance mats, BKOOL cycling simulator, and Nintendo Switch. The energy expenditure was estimated from the heart rate recorded during the sessions and the data from the individual maximal tests. (3) Results: The mean energy expenditure was 315.1 kilocalories in a one-hour session. Participants spent the most energy on BKOOL, followed by Ring Fit Adventures, Dance Mats, Xbox Kinect, and the Nintendo Wii, with significant differences between BKOOL and the Nintendo Wii. Significant differences between boys and girls were found, but were partially due to the difference in weight, VO2max, and fat-free mass. (4) Conclusions: The energy expenditure with AVG combined with multi-component exercise was 5.68 kcal/min in boys and 4.66 kcal/min in girls with overweight and obesity. AVG could be an effective strategy to increase energy expenditure in children and adolescents with overweight and obesity.

25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Prepubertal Overweight and Obese Children

“…Additionally, the children in the present study with the highest relative VO 2max would be classified into the low category (2.5–15.9%) for girls and boys aged 9–11 years without obesity. Similar results were found when VO 2max relative to lean mass, a measure that is not confounded by body adiposity [ 27 ], was considered. These results confirm that all study individuals had what is commonly defined as low CRF [ 34 ].…”

“…Moreover, these noteworthy differences in body composition could be attributable to the higher proportion of boys in Tanner stage 2, while more girls were in Tanner stage 1. In a previous study with part of the present sample, we found that boys who performed an active video game intervention combined with multi-component exercise had higher energy expenditure (5.68 vs. 4.66 kcal/min) than girls performing the same intervention [ 27 ].…”

Exergames to Prevent the Secondary Functional Deterioration of Older Adults during Hospitalization and Isolation Periods during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…The player's movements are detected through a Pilates ring (Ring-Con ® ) and a strap with a controller (Joy-Con ® ) that is fixed on the left leg. A recent study [32] found that the energy consumption of this video game is higher than that required by other exergames such as Wii Fit or Kinect Adventures.…”

The Effects of Active Video Games on Health-Related Physical Fitness and Motor Competence in Children and Adolescents with Healthy Weight: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Active-video games (AVG) have been proposed as a good alternative aiming to motivate those (young or not) who find sport less interesting, partly due to their body composition, poor performance or low motor skills. Scientific literature has shown the potential of AVG to increase the energy expenditure and to replace sedentary behaviors by promoting light-to-moderate PA [ 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ]. Although some studies have reported the benefits of AVG on body composition [ 35 ], CRF [ 36 ], and motor competence [ 37 , 38 ], the effects of AVG on health-related physical fitness need further investigation because of the importance it can have for their present and future health.…”

“…It is therefore necessary to ascertain the potential of AVG for improving health in children and adolescents with healthy weight and for promoting a healthier lifestyle. As well, this update of the evidence is necessary as AVGs have been updated, offering more and more possibilities and increasing the physical demands in exercise sessions through AVG [ 34 ]. Consequently, this systematic review aims to identify and critically appraise current research results from the data obtained and to pool the results of published studies in a meta-analysis.…”