Impact of a 1-Month Exergaming Intervention on Blood Glucose, Strength, and Body Composition in Office Workers With Overweight or Obesity

Abstract

Objective: This study is aimed at assessing the impact of a 1-month exergaming intervention (Fitness Boxing 2: rhythm and exercise), performed for 150 min per week, on blood glucose levels, strength, and body composition in sedentary office workers with overweight or obesity. Methods: Then, 21 sedentary participants (age: 38.0 ± 7.5 years, BMI: 30.8 ± 4.9 kg/m2) were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 11; 4 men and 7 women) or a control group (n = 10; 2 men and 8 women). The experimental group completed 20 sessions, each consisting of 30 min of exergaming, 5 days per week. The control group was instructed to maintain their usual daily activities. Before and after the intervention, blood glucose, strength, and body composition were measured. Results: The average daily energy expenditure was 330.7 ± 86.9 kcal, with a maximum perceived effort of 12.7 ± 1.8 arbitrary units. An interaction effect between group and time was found in the experimental group in blood glucose (%Δ = −7.8; p = 0.027; d = 0.590), grip strength of the nondominant hand (%Δ = 14.1; p = 0.006; d = 0.383), and back–leg–chest strength (%Δ = 41.5; p = 0.001; d = 0.662). No differences were found in any of the outcome variables of interest for the control group over time (pre vs. post; p > 0.05). Additionally, no differences in groups (experimental vs. control) and time (pre vs. post) were yielded for weight and body composition. Conclusion: The results of this work demonstrate that engagement with exergames can improve blood glucose and strength in sedentary office workers with overweight or obesity.