Activity-promoting video games and increased energy expenditure.
OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that both children and adults would expend more calories and move more while playing activity-promoting video games compared with sedentary video games.


METHODS
In this single-group study, 22 healthy children (12 +/- 2 years; 11 male, 11 female) and 20 adults (34 +/- 11 years; 10 male, 10 female) were recruited. Energy expenditure and physical activity were measured while participants were resting, standing, watching television seated, sitting and playing a traditional sedentary video game, and while playing an activity-promoting video game (Nintendo Wii Boxing). Physical activity was measured with accelerometers, and energy expenditure was measured with an indirect calorimeter.


RESULTS
Energy expenditure was significantly greater than all other activities when children or adults played Nintendo Wii (mean increase over resting, 189 +/- 63 kcal/hr, P < .001, and 148 +/- 71 kcal/hr, P < .001, respectively). When examining movement with accelerometry, children moved significantly more than adults (55 +/- 5 arbitrary acceleration units and 23 +/- 2 arbitrary acceleration units, respectively, P < .001) while playing Nintendo Wii.


CONCLUSIONS
Activity-promoting video games have the potential to increase movement and energy expenditure in children and adults.
Lanningham-Foster
Lorraine
L
Endocrine Research Unit, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA. lmlf@iastate.edu
Foster
Randal C
RC
McCrady
Shelly K
SK
Jensen
Teresa B
TB
Mitre
Naim
N
Levine
James A
JA