Effects of Playing Video Games on Energy Balance

Effects of Playing Video Games on Energy Balance: a Randomized, 2-condition, Crossover Study in Adolescents

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of playing video games on various components of energy balance and substrate metabolism as well as on glucose homeostasis and relevant hormonal systems that might be involved in the underlying mechanisms.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male adolescents between 15 and 19 years of age
• Normal weight (5th percentile to less than the 85th percentile)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Smoking
• Unstable body weight (±4 kg) during the 6 months preceding testing
• Regular physical exercise (>3 hours/week)
• Excessive intake of alcohol (>7 drinks/week)
• Substance abuse
• Metabolic disease (e.g. thyroid disease, heart disease, diabetes, etc.)
• Medication that could interfere with the outcome variables
• Eating disorder
• High restraint eating behavior (score ≥8 for cognitive dietary restraint in the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire)
• Irregular eating schedule (e.g. skipping breakfast)
• Unfamiliar with the use of video games
• Unable to comply with the protocol