A Comparison of Objective and Subjective Markers of Exertion using the Wii and Xbox Kinect

Mishler, A., Lo Bue-Estes, C., Patrick, E., Tobin S., Mercyhurst University, Erie, PA Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine objective and subjective levels of exertion during exergaming using two different gaming systems, Wii and Xbox Kinect, between exergames of similar content. Methods: Ten Female University students (age 19 ± 1.3 years) of varying activity levels without contraindication to safe aerobic exercise participation were recruited via campus advertising. Body composition was assessed via Bod Pod (body fat % 24.7 ± 4.16 kg/m2). Participants played Wii Just Dance (WJD), Wii Sports (WS), Xbox Dance Central (XBD) and Xbox Kinect Motion Sports (XBS). Participants played three dance games and three sports games for each gaming system. Games were chosen for similarity in duration and perceived similarity of exertion. Order of games and gaming systems were counterbalanced. Heart Rate (HR) was assessed using Polar HR monitors. Subject levels of exertion were assessed using the Subjective Exercise Experience Scale (SEES) and Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) using the Omni Scale. Results: Average HR was significantly higher during XBS (127 ± 10, P = 0.016) compared to WS (112 ± 18). Average RPE was not significantly different between WS and XBS. There was no significant difference for average HR or RPE between the gaming systems for the dance games. When comparing only boxing games, HR was significantly higher during the Xbox boxing (148 ± 16, P = 0.005) compared to Wii boxing (121 ± 19), while RPE was not significantly different. On the SEES, subjects rated feelings of fatigue higher following the Xbox games compared to Wii games (P = 0.030), while there was no difference between systems for positive well-being or psychological distress dimensions. Additionally, a significantly greater proportion of subjects answered that the Xbox games were “harder” compared to Wii games (P = 0.039). Conclusion: In exergames of similar content there may be a different level of both objective and subjective exertion based on the gaming system used. For certain games, it is possible that HR is higher but not subjective level of exertion. This warrants further exploration and may have implications increasing fitness levels while improving exercise adherence, as subjects may achieve higher exercise intensity during certain games with no increase in perceived effort

Brain and exercise: A first approach using electrotomography

Purpose: The impact of exercise on brain function has gained broad interest. As hemodynamic and imaging studies are difficult to perform during and after exercise, electroencephalography (EEG) is often the method of choice. Within this study we aimed (1) to extend prior work examining changes in scalp-recorded brain electrical activity associated with exercise and (2) use a distributed source localization algorithm (sLORETA) to model the probable neural sources of changes in EEG activity after exercise. Methods: Electro cortical activity of twenty-two recreational runners (21-45y) was recorded before and after exhaustive treadmill ergometry. Data were analyzed using standardised low resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA). Results: There was an increase in alpha-1 activity (7.5-10Hz) immediately after exercise, which was localized to the left frontal gyrus (Brodmann area 8). This finding is consistent with alterations in emotional processing. Fifteen minutes post exercise a decrease in alpha-2 (10-12.5Hz), beta-1 (12.5-18Hz) and gamma activity (35-48Hz) were observed in Brodmann areas 18 and 20-22, which are well known to be involved in language processing. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that sLORETA is a robust method that allows brain activity maps to be generated from standardized EEG recordings following exercise