Effect of a gamified physical education programs on physical fitness and motor coordination: systematic review and meta-analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v82.117945Keywords:
Agility, children, exercise, strength, VO2maxAbstract
Introduction: Physical education (PE) has shifted toward active approaches that enhance engagement and promote healthy lifestyles. Gamification has emerged as a promising tool to boost student motivation and physical performance, positively impacting fitness, including cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition. However, comprehensive reviews on its effectiveness in PE are limited.
Methodology: This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the effects of gamified PE interventions on physical fitness and motor coordination compared with traditional or non-gamified approaches. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42025642780). Searches were conducted in PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Scopus up to September 2024. Randomized controlled trials assessing physical fitness outcomes were included. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane RoB 2 tool.
Results: From 958 identified records, six studies met the inclusion criteria. Gamified PE interventions improved VO₂max (MD 4.05; 95% CI 2.54 to 5.57; p < 0.001; I² = 38%) and agility (MD 1.04; 95% CI 0.17 to 1.92; p = 0.02; I² = 99%). No beneficial effects were observed for horizontal jump performance (MD -0.01; 95% CI -0.06 to 0.04; p = 0.67; I² = 95%), and CMJ performance favored the control group (MD -2.39; 95% CI -3.76 to -1.02; p < 0.001; I² = 62%). Most studies showed low risk of bias in several domains, although some concerns were identified, mainly regarding randomization and deviations from intended interventions.
Conclusion: Gamified PE interventions may improve VO₂max and agility, but evidence for strength-related outcomes is inconsistent. These findings should be interpreted cautiously due to the limited number of studies, high heterogeneity for several outcomes, and some methodological concerns.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Cristina Castro-Collado, Rafael Cortés-Rojas, Alejandro Pradas-Ponce, Daniel Rangel-Rodríguez, José Andrés Ruiz-Castaño, Vanesa Cuevas-Cuevas, Pablo Pradas-Villaécija, Jose Manuel Jurado-Castro
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