An Evaluation of the Energy Expenditure From Wii Fit Games

University of Rochester30 enrolled

Overview

The purpose of this study is to provide energy expenditure data on Wii Fit / Wii Fit Plus games as compared with resting and treadmill walking/running.

Increasing physical activity and, consequently, increasing energy expenditure and reducing obesity are among the highest public health priorities in the U.S. because physical inactivity negatively affects a wide variety of medical conditions (e.g., metabolic syndromes, cardiovascular disease). Research has shown that a major contributor to physical inactivity is the sedentary behavior induced by increased use of computer and video games. However, some of the newer generations of game consoles such as the Nintendo Wii market their product for its physical activity promoting features. Nintendo's recent release of Wii Fit / Wii Fit Plus uses a balance board and is the first game in which whole-body movements closely mirror that of the actual activity. As the use of these gaming systems may be more enjoyable modes of promoting physical activity than the traditional treadmill exercise, respondents may in turn exercise more regularly and for longer periods of time. To the best of the investigators' knowledge, no studies exist that demonstrate the energy expenditure of the Wii Fit / Wii Fit Plus among adults, or the Wii Fit / Wii Fit Plus compared to other forms of aerobic exercise such as walking and running. This study will provide preliminary data for future external grant applications comparing the energy expenditure of different physical activity conditions employing cutting-edge interactive physical activity promoting technology among adults. The potential contributions of the Wii Fit / Wii Fit Plus to promote healthy behaviors by being an alternative form of physical activity may be particularly informative for people who are unable to meet the national public health recommendations due to personal, health, safety or environmental concerns.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Healthy Young Adults

Interventions

Wii FitDEVICE

This is a randomized, crossover study to evaluate the energy expenditure associated with Wii Fit games. After the baseline resting energy expenditure assessment, each participant complete the following physical activities on separate days in a random order, (1) 30-minute Wii Fit Aerobics Free Run, (2) 3 bouts of Wii Fit Aerobics (Advanced Step, Super Hula Hoop, and Rhythm Boxing in a random order) each lasting 10 minutes, and (3) 30-minute treadmill running/walking.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 20 YearsMax age: 35 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * No chronic disease by self-report (e.g. cardiovascular, renal, hepatic, neurodegenerative, neoplastic, metabolic {diabetes}, hypertension). * Between the ages of 20-35. * Normal BMI (BMI between 18.5 and 24.9). * Not a current nicotine user. * Demonstrates capacity for giving informed consent. Willing to participate by providing informed consent and committing to complete the study. Exclusion Criteria: * NA

Locations (1)

University of Rochester

Rochester, New York, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Energy Expenditure

Energy expenditure is measured using continuous, computerized open-circuit indirect calorimetry (oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production) and converted to metabolic equivalents (METs).

Time frame: 30 min continuous monitoring at rest and during each physical activity

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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