Active Wii sports- video games and some Wii fit- activities may increase adults' energy expenditure as much as moderately intense exercise, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2009.
The study, funded by Nintendo-, demonstrated that about one-third of the virtual physical activities require an energy expenditure of 3.0 METs or above, considered moderate-intensity exercise. METs are metabolic equivalent values, a standard method of estimating energy expenditure.
The average intensities were distributed over a wide range from lotus focus, 1.3 METs, to single-arm stand, 5.6 METs.
Researchers used a metabolic chamber to measure the energy expenditure of 12 men and women, 25 to 44 years old, as they pantomimed basic moves and motions of these sports and physical activities with motion-sensing controls. The open-circuit indirect metabolic chamber consisted of an airtight room (20,000 liters or 15,000 liters). The metabolic chamber method could replicate the conditions under which the participants enjoy the games in their home, because they were free from apparatus used to measure energy expenditure (EE) when playing the game.
"Energy expenditure is the most important information to measure the effect of video games," said Motohiko Miyachi, Ph.D., lead author of the study and Project Leader of Project for Physical Activity in the Health Promotion and Exercise Program at the National Institute of Health and Nutrition in Tokyo, Japan.
Researchers found:
- Nine activities had less than 2 METs.
- Twenty-three activities had 2š METs.
- Nine activities had 3š METs.
- Five activities had more than 4 METs.
"The range of energy expenditure in these active games is sufficient to prevent or to improve obesity and lifestyle-related disease, from heart disease and diabetes to metabolic diseases," Miyachi said.
According to the American Heart Association's exercise guidelines, light intensity exercise is less than 3.0 METs; moderate intensity is 3.0 to 6.0 METs; and vigorous activity is more than 6 METs. An adult walking at three miles per hour on a flat surface is expending about 3.3 METs. Adults gain the most health benefits when they do the equivalent of at least 150 minutes (2 - hours) of moderate intensity aerobic physical activity each week. Regular physical activity reduces the risk of many adverse health outcomes. Some physical activity is better than none.