Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 14, 2026
Calculating Heart Rate Variability from ECG Data from Youth with Cerebral Palsy During Active Video Game Sessions
Published on: June 5, 2019
Physiological responses during exercise with video games in patients with cystic fibrosis: A systematic review
Raquel Pinto Carbonera1, Fernanda Maria Vendrusculo2, Márcio Vinícius Fagundes Donadio3
1Faculty of Nursing, Nutrition and Physiotherapy, Health Multidisciplinary Residency Program, Hospital São Lucas (PREMUS/HSL), Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Background:
Interactive video games are recently being used as an exercise tool in cystic fibrosis (CF). This study aimed to assess the literature describing whether video games generate a physiological response similar to the exercise intensity needed for training in CF.
Methods:
An online search in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, SciELO, LILACS and PEDro databases was conducted and original studies describing physiological responses of the use of video games as exercise in CF were included.
Results:
In four, out of five studies, the heart rate achieved during video games was within the standards recommended for training (60-80%). Two studies assessed VO2 and showed higher levels compared to the six-minute walk test. No desaturation was reported. Most games were classified as moderate intensity. Only one study used a maximum exercise test as comparator.
Conclusion:
Interactive video games generate a heart rate response similar to the intensity required for training in CF patients.
