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Beat Saber Exergaming and Isometric Strength in Youth Basketball Players
Sponsor: Babes-Bolyai University
Summary
This randomized study compared two types of virtual reality gaming in male basketball players aged 10 to 12 years. The study examined whether a structured Beat Saber exergaming program produced greater improvements in isometric muscle force than self-selected virtual reality games. Eighty participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups. Both groups continued their usual basketball training three times per week for three months and completed 30 minutes of virtual reality gaming after each basketball session. One group followed a standardized Beat Saber program, while the other group selected the virtual reality games they wished to play. Peak isometric force was measured before and after the three-month intervention during a deadlift and four shoulder movements: flexion, extension, abduction, and adduction. Adverse events, including dizziness and intervention-related injuries, were also recorded.
Official title: Three-Month Effects of Structured Beat Saber Exergaming Versus Self-Selected Virtual Reality Gaming on Peak Isometric Deadlift and Shoulder Force in Male Youth Basketball Players: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Key Details
Gender
MALE
Age Range
10 Years - 12 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
80
Start Date
2026-01-15
Completion Date
2026-05-01
Last Updated
2026-08-07
Healthy Volunteers
Yes
Conditions
Interventions
Structured Virtual Reality Exergaming
Participants completed a standardized Beat Saber virtual reality exergaming program using a Meta Quest 3 headset. Sessions were performed three times per week for three months, with each session lasting 30 minutes and taking place after basketball training. Gameplay required repeated rapid upper-limb movements combined with trunk and lower-limb actions, including squatting and side-stepping.
Self-Selected Virtual Reality Gaming
Participants completed self-selected virtual reality gaming three times per week for three months. Each session lasted 30 minutes and took place after basketball training. Participants selected the games they wished to play. Game titles, movement patterns, and physical demands were not standardized.
Locations (1)
OH Kineto Complex
Cluj-Napoca, Cluj, Romania