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Food and health

Energy intake adaptations to acute isoenergetic active video games and exercise are similar in obese adolescents

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 69, pages 1267–1271 (2015)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/Objectives:

Although the impact of passive video games (PVGs) on energy intake has been previously explored in lean adolescents, data are missing on the nutritional adaptations to passive and active video games (AVGs) in obese adolescents. It is also unknown whether isoenergetic AVGs and exercise (EX) differently affect food consumption in youth.

Subjects/Methods:

Nineteen obese adolescent boys (12–15 years old) had to complete four 1-hour sessions in a crossover manner: control (CON; sitting on a chair), PVG (boxing game on Xbox 360), AVG (boxing game on Xbox Kinect 360) and EX (cycling). The EX was calibrated to generate the same energy expenditure as the AVG session. Energy expenditure was measured using a K4b2 portable indirect calorimeter. Ad libitum food intake (buffet-style meal) and appetite sensations (visual analogue scales) were assessed after the sessions.

Results:

As expected, mean energy expenditure was similar between AVG (370±4 kcal) and EX (358±3 kcal), both of which were significantly higher than PVG (125±7 kcal) and CON (98±5 kcal) (P<0.001). However, ad libitum food intake after the sessions was not significantly different between CON (1174±282 kcal), PVG (1124±281 kcal), AVG (1098±265 kcal) and EX (1091±290 kcal). Likewise, the energy derived from fat, carbohydrate and protein was not significantly different between sessions, and appetite sensations were not affected.

Conclusions:

Energy intake and food preferences after an hour of AVG or PVG playing remain unchanged, and isoenergetic sessions of AVG and EX at moderate intensity induce similar nutritional responses in obese adolescent boys.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the 2012 DANONE Institute Research Award. The 2012 Danone Institute Research Grant funded this work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

    J P Chaput

  2. School of Human Kinetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

    J P Chaput

  3. Clermont University, Blaise Pascal University, EA 3533, Laboratory of the Metabolic Adaptations to Exercise under Physiological and Pathological Conditions (AME2P), Clermont-Ferrand, France

    C Schwartz & D Thivel

  4. Department of Human Nutrition, Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital, G. Montpied Hospital, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    Y Boirie

  5. INRA, UMR 1019, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    Y Boirie & M Duclos

  6. University Clermont 1, UFR Medicine, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    Y Boirie & M Duclos

  7. CRNH-Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    Y Boirie, M Duclos & D Thivel

  8. Department of Sport Medicine and Functional Explorations, Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital, G. Montpied Hospital, Clermont-Ferrand, France

    M Duclos

  9. Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada

    A Tremblay

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Correspondence to D Thivel.

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Chaput, J., Schwartz, C., Boirie, Y. et al. Energy intake adaptations to acute isoenergetic active video games and exercise are similar in obese adolescents. Eur J Clin Nutr 69, 1267–1271 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2015.31

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