Positive Impact of Exergaming on Recovery from Stress and Metabolic Equivalent of Tasks for Athletes and Gamers (on the Example of Outdoor Mobile Games)

Abstract

The research focuses on exergaming as an instrument of physical traning for stress tolerance. The purpose of the study is to determine the positive effect of exergaming on two criteria: 1) on stress resistance based on root mean square of successive differences (speed of recovery after physical stress); 2) to combat obesity on the basis of metabolic equivalent of task. The main difference between simple gamer and professional sportsman reaction to the exergaming was developed. For example, exergaming is one of the best types of unloading workout for sportsman and one of the best motivator for more intence workout for simple exergamer. The main categories of exergames classification were reviewed in economic and scientific context of the exergame industry. Main exergaming types include: home, medical, dance and bike exergaming, connect emulation of the sport, role-playing game with gamercize-control and outdoor mobile games. Materials and methods. Nineteen competitions of dance exergaming (World Pump Festival and Just Dance) and eSports League discipline of bike exergaming (Zwift) have been identified in aspects of cybersports. This article is confirmed in 2 experimental researches about: 1) metabolic equivalent of task in main exergaming types and outdoor mobile games in particular; 2) speed of recovery after physical stress. Study of metabolic equivalent of task for the exterior mobile games is based on Ukraine Niantic games community survey (190 members). Results and discussion. Average playing experience for the Niantic games (Ingress, Pokémon Go and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite) community was 4 years (59% ≤5 years and 41% >5 years). The distance travelled during this time was about 7429 kilometers (32% passed more than 10,000 km). Metabolic equivalent of task and body heat balance was modelled on the basis of the survey data and metabolic WHO constants and body heat constants of ANSI standart. Exterior games take 5.65 kkal to 1 kg per 1 day, home fitness exergaming (Power Pad, Let's Yoga, Personal Trainer: Walking) takes 7.14 kkal to 1 kg per 1 day, dance exergames take 7.14-10 kkal to 1 kg per 1 day. In the body heat equivalent, this is 4.1 times more than at rest for home-fitness videogames, 5.75 times more than at rest for dance exergaming and 1.84-2.59 times more than at rest for exterior mobile exergames. Conclusion. Based on the indicators of root mean square of successive differences with the help of Energy Health free platform, the first stage of the research on the influence of outdoor exergames on the formation of stress tolerance was held. Root mean square of successive differences monitoring was carried out for 20 participants (10 Black Sea State University volleyball team members and 10 Niantic game community members). An increase in root mean square of successive differences was recorded for 80% of gamers and 60% of athletes. Moreover, the novelty factor acted precisely in athletes, which indicates long-term effectiveness of outdoor mobile games as an instrument of physical traning for stress tolerance