Energy Expenditure during Rest, Traditional Video Game Play, and Interactive Video Game Play in Adolescent Boys

Abstract

Traditional video games are widely used by adolescents and typically promote physical inactivity. Interactive video games are a more recent development that require the participant to move (i.e., be physically active) in order to play. The physiological and psychological effects of these interactive video games are unknown. PURPOSE: To examine energy expenditure and arousal during rest, traditional video game play, and interactive video game play in adolescent boys. METHODS: Oxygen consumption (VO2; ml·kg-1 -min-1), heart rate (HR; b·min-1), and energy expenditure (EE; kcal·min-1) were assessed during rest and during traditional and interactive video game play in 30 adolescent boys (mean age = 13 ± 1 yr). Physiological arousal was assessed with heart rate variability (HRV) for the rest and traditional video game conditions. Differences in arousal between traditional and interactive video games were examined via two questionnaires. Repeated measures ANOVA with Bonferroni-corrected Fisher's LSD tests were used to compare means among conditions. Effect size estimates of mean differences were calculated by Cohen's delta. RESULTS: VO2, HR, and EE were significantly higher (p < .05) during interactive video game play compared to traditional video game play and rest (EE: 5.63 ± 0.97 vs. 1.29 ± 0.25 and 1.17 ± 0.19 kcal-min-1, respectively) and effect sizes were large (ES > 7.0). HR was significantly higher (p < .05) during traditional video game play than rest (77 ± 9 vs. 69 ± 12 b-min-1), but VO2 and EE did not differ (p > .05) between these conditions. Physiological arousal was higher (p < .05) during traditional video game play compared to rest. Results from both questionnaires demonstrated that self-reported arousal was higher (p < .05) for interactive video game play than for traditional video game play, and effect sizes were large (ES > 1.1). CONCLUSIONS: Because participants expend more energy during interactive than during traditional video games, and because participants reported higher levels of arousal during interactive games, interactive video games provide a promising approach to increase physical activity levels in adolescent boys.