221Impact of exergame vs. treadmill exercise on cardiorespiratory fitness, endothelial function and epicardial fat thickness in patients with high cardiovascular risk

Abstract

Background: It is still unclear whether “exergames” are as effective as conventional aerobic exercise for cardiovascular risk factor reduction. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of treadmill exercise and exergame engaged in the aerobic running video game on cardiorespiratory fitness, endothelial function and epicardial fat thickness (EFT) in patients with high cardiovascular (CV) risk. Methods: Forty-six patients (mean age: 61.7±12.1 years old) with high CV risk were randomized to aerobic exergame using Exer-heart (n=19), treadmill (n=15) and control (n=12) group. The Exer-heart and treadmill groups performed equal volumes of energy expenditure for 230 MET-min/day with moderate to vigorous intensity. Each group completed a fully supervised 3 times a week for 12-week training. Participants were examined for peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak), EFT, flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) such as CD34/CD117+. Results: Compared to the baseline, both 12 weeks Exer-heart and treadmill aerobic exercise significantly improved VO2peak (Exer-heart, 38%, p<0.001; treadmill, 27%, p<0.001), EFT (Exer-heart, 0.13mm; p<0.01; treadmill, 0.17mm; p<0.01), FMD (Exer-heart, 9.3%, p<0.001; treadmill, 8.7%, p<0.01), and CD34/CD117+ (Exer-heart, 26/μL, p<0.05; treadmill, 25/μL; p<0.01) (Table 1). Conclusion: Aerobic exergame had the similar exercise effects as a conventional treadmill exercise of moderate to vigorous intensity in improving cardiorespiratory fitness, endothelial function and EFT in patients with high CV risk. (Table Presented) .