| dc.description.abstract | Background: Games have been used in different contexts in form of gamification and serious games. Exergames (videogames applied to exercise) are presented as a useful tool to induce adequate levels of physical activity to provide benefit in health in a joyful way and as a substitute of modern screen-based sedentary activities. PedalTanks is a cycling exergame that has been shown to provide a moderate to vigorous level of intensity but many variables from this exergame remain to be understood to optimise its potential as physical activity. For example, it is unknown how participation in group (multiplayer) or alone (single-player) affects participants. The hypotheses are, first, that the multiplayer protocol will produce higher levels of intensity and lower perception of effort as well as better affect and enjoyment while compared to single-player protocol and, second, that heart rate (HR), perception of effort, feelings/exercise affect, and enjoyment will be found related with Oxygen consumption (VO2). The aim of this pilot study is to investigate and compare the perception and physiological responses in multiplayer and single-player exergaming in similar game conditions. In addition to explore the possible relationship between HR, perception of effort, feelings/exercise affect and enjoyment with VO2. Methods: 12 participants (age: 26±2.3 years; Body mass index: 23.3±2.5 kg/m2; maximum oxygen uptake: 45.7±9.7 mL·kg−1·min−1). Two protocols were designed, where conditions of the game were set as much similar as possible (2vs2 and same game rules). Single-player included an adjustment of game difficulty (increasing when wining, decreasing when losing). Participants warmed up by playing for 15 minutes and right after a session of 20 minutes of testing including gas exchange analysis and HR was measured. After, subjective perception Likert scales of Feelings, Borg and PACES were filled by participants. Besides an estimated value of VO2 was calculated from HR was executed by the formula: Estimated%V̇O2max= 1.369 ⋅ %HRmax −40.99. Results: Despite a difference in some values was observed, no significant difference was found in any of the outcomes between multiplayer and single-player protocols. In addition, no predictor value from PACES scored applied to predicting VO2 was found. Besides VO2 was found partially predicted in single-player by Borg but not in multiplayer, whereas Feelings from multiplayer protocol showed a significant correlation with VO2 but not in single-player protocol. HR was found to have a moderate predictor value in single-player and a weak value in the multiplayer protocol. Conclusion: Single-player with adjusted difficulty and multiplayer protocols were found to induce similar responses. It is necessary to be cautious about the data interpretation due to the low sample. Future investigations including larger samples and analysis of other variables are required to provide more understanding.
Keywords: active video games, cycling gamification, game conditions, physical exertion, and enjoyment. | |