Beat Saber Exergaming and Isometric Strength in Youth Basketball Players

This was a three‐month, two‐arm, individually randomized controlled trial conducted atthe physiotherapy clinic of the OH Sport Complex in Cluj‐Napoca, Romania.Participants were healthy, physically active male basketball players aged 10 to 12 years.A total of 87 children were assessed for eligibility. Seven were excluded beforerandomization: one did not meet the inclusion criteria and six declined participation.The remaining 80 participants were randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to either thestructured Beat Saber group or the self‐selected virtual reality gaming group.Both groups completed three approximately 60‐minute basketball training sessions perweek. Each session included a warm‐up, technical and shooting drills, one‐on‐one andsmall‐sided game activities, and full‐team basketball play.After basketball training, both groups completed three 30‐minute virtual reality sessionsper week for three months. Virtual reality exposure was matched between groups forfrequency and session duration.Participants assigned to the experimental group completed a standardized Beat Saberprogram using a Meta Quest 3 headset. Beat Saber required repeated rapid upper‐limbmovements together with trunk and lower‐limb actions, including squatting andside‐stepping.Participants assigned to the active comparison group completed self‐selected virtualreality games. The games were not standardized according to title, movement pattern, orphysical demand. The main difference between the groups was therefore the structure andmovement demands of the virtual reality activity rather than the amount of virtualreality exposure.Peak isometric force was assessed at baseline and after three months using the MAT MuscleMeter dynamometer. Five efficacy outcomes were evaluated: peak isometric deadlift forceand peak isometric shoulder force during flexion, extension, abduction, and adduction.Three maximal voluntary isometric contractions were completed for each movement, and thehighest value was retained for analysis.No single primary outcome was prospectively designated. The five force outcomes weretreated as an exploratory family of efficacy outcomes. Harm outcomes included dizziness,intervention‐related injuries, and discontinuation because of adverse events.All 80 randomized participants completed the intervention and post‐intervention testing.Mild, temporary dizziness was reported by six participants during the first week ofvirtual reality exposure. No serious adverse events, intervention‐related injuries,withdrawals, or losses to follow‐up occurred.