Muscle Oxygenation Responses To Lower Leg Vascular Occlusion In Physically Active Video Gamers

Video games are a popular leisure activity that contribute to prolonged periods of sedentary behavior (SB) which is linked to the development of musculoskeletal and vascular disorders. Exercise may be able to offset these detrimental health effects. PURPOSE: To examine the relationship in muscle oxygen reperfusion curves in physically active video gamers. METHODS: Fourteen participants with a history of video game play visited the lab on two occasions to perform a lower leg flow-mediated dilation protocol. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was used to measure tissue oxygenation (SmO2) of the tibialis anterior (TA) during the occlusion and reperfusion periods. Relative SmO2 area under the curve (AUC) for occlusion and reperfusion, reperfusion slope, occlusion minimum (MIN), and reperfusion maximum (MAX) for SmO2 values were determined for each individual test. Each participant wore an Actigraph Link on their non-dominant wrist for 4-7 days. Groups were split and analyzed based on a median moderate- to vigorous-physical activity (MVPA) of 116.5 minutes per day. Independent t-tests were used to test for differences in SmO2 variables. RESULTS: The study included 10 males and 4 females that averaged 7.9 ± 1.9 hr/day and 2.0 ± 0.5 hr/day of SB and MPVA, respectively. There were statistically significant differences between Highly Active and Active groups for AUC, but not for slope, MAX, or MIN. Specifically, Highly Active had a significantly lower occlusion AUC (-494.6 ± 30.7) than Active (p < .001) and significantly higher AUC (857.2 ± 29.2) than Active (p < .001) during reperfusion. Highly Active had a reperfusion slope (3.9 ± 2.2) that was larger than Active (3.4 ± 1.6), but not significantly different (p = .56). Values for MIN were not significantly different (p = .68) between Highly Active (46.3 ± 27.8) and Active (50.1 ± 20.4). There was no significant difference for MAX (p = .20) between Highly Active (111.9 ± 17.4) and Active (105.8 ± 10.2). CONCLUSIONS: Higher volumes of daily MVPA in video gamers resulted in more rapid utilization of O2 in muscle during occlusion and greater microvascular reserve during reperfusion. These differences are indicators of varying levels of aerobic fitness and health, emphasizing the importance of exercise among video gamers.