Effects of exergaming versus endurance training on cardiorespiratory fitness and hemodynamic parameters: a randomized controlled trial

Purpose The study determined whether an exergame training (EXT) resulted in greater improvements in health-related outcomes compared to traditional moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT). Methods In total, 47 individuals (age 30 +/- 11 years) were randomized into an EXT (n = 24) and an MICT group (n = 23). Throughout the eight-week intervention period, the EXT group attended 20-30 min of EXT three times a week while the MICT group completed 20-45 min of MICT three times a week. Before and after the intervention, BMI, waist-to-height ratio, body fat (BF), resting heart rate (HR), root mean square of successive differences between normal heartbeats (RMSSD), standard deviation of all normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN), average time interval between consecutive R-waves (MeanRR), high-frequency power, low-frequency power, ratio of LF to HF power, enjoyment, systolic (SBP) as well as diastolic blood pressure, and peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) were compared using linear mixed models. Results The analyses revealed main effects of time for BF, HR, RMSSD, SDNN, MeanRR, high-frequency power, and SBP (ps<.05). A main effect of group was found for enjoyment (p<.05) with higher values in the EXT group. Group-by-time interactions (ps<.05) were observed for HR, SBP, and VO2peak, indicating differential changes over time between groups. The EXT showed a steeper decline in HR and SBP compared to MICT, while demonstrating a greater increase in VO2peak. Conclusions The EXT was more effective than the MICT in improving VO2peak, HR, and SBP. The EXT seems to represent a more effective and more attractive alternative to MICT for health promotion.