Effects Of Age And Fitness Level On Cardiorespiratory And Perceptual Responses During Wii Zumba® AVG.

Abstract

PURPOSE: The Wii Zumba® active video game (AVG) has the potential to be an important form of exercise that could be conducted from the comfort of one’s own home. The purposes of this study were to compare the cardiorespiratory, metabolic, and perceptual responses of interactive Wii Zumba® gaming to treadmill walking in younger and older as well as fit and unfit women. METHODS: Thirty females (young = 18-35, older=36-54) volunteered for the study with 7 fit and 8 unfit subjects in each group. Subjects completed a preliminary session to assess cardiorespiratory fitness, an experimental session to determine cardiorespiratory and perceptual responses to a Wii Zumba® protocol, and an experimental session to assess and compare cardiorespiratory and perceptual responses to graded walking on a treadmill at the same metabolic rate as the Wii Zumba® session. Session (2) by Time (9) repeated measures ANOVAs were conducted to compare responses of heart rate (HR), oxygen consumption (VO2), affect, and arousal measurements. Group (4) by Time (9) repeated measures ANOVAs were conducted for HR, %HRmax, VO2, %VO2max, breathing frequency (fB), caloric expenditure rate (kcal/min), tidal volume (TV), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), minute ventilation (VE), RPE, arousal, and affect. RESULTS: HR [F(1,57)=19.15, p<0.001] and arousal scores [F(1,58)=36.58, p<0.001] were significantly higher (p<0.05) during the Wii Zumba® AVG than the graded walking, while VO2 and affect were not significantly different. For VO2, %VO2max, HR, %HRmax, RER, VE, kcal/min, TV, RPE, arousal, and affect, there were significant time effects (p<0.05) during the Wii Zumba® AVG for the 4 groups (young/fit, young/unfit, older/fit, older/unfit). %VO2max was significantly greater in the older/unfit group than the other 3 groups [F(2,26) = 7.19, p=0.001]. CONCLUSIONS: The Wii Zumba® AVG was shown to be as effective as treadmill walking for producing optimal cardiorespiratory, metabolic, and perceptual responses in younger fit and unfit as well as older fit and unfit women, and therefore appears to be an effective modality for improving fitness in women.