Purpose: With the coronavirus outbreak, the preventive measures include staying at home and isolation, increasing sedentary behaviours and risk for worsening of chronic diseases. To explore alternative forms of home-based physical activity, the study aim was to evaluate physiological (heart rate [HR], respiratory exchange ratio [RER], oxygen consumption [VO2], Energy expenditure [EE], metabolic equivalent task [MET]) and psychological (session rating of perceived exertion [sRPE], enjoyment) parameters of real (Zumba® class [ZC]) and exergame (Zumba® Fitness Rush [ZFR]) activities in relation to sex. Methods: Overall, 12 female (age: 24.7 ± 0.9 years) and 8 male (age: 25.3 ± 2.1 years) college students randomly performer 2 experimental 60-min sessions, ZC and ZFR, during which HR (expressed as percentage of individual maximal HR [%HRmax]), VO2, RER, MET and EE were measured. After each session, sRPE and Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES) were used to monitor exercise intensity and enjoyment, respectively. Results: Main effects for sex (p = 0.02) and modality (p < 0.0001) emerged for %HRmax, with women showing higher values than men and ZC showing higher values than ZFR. EE presented main effects for sex (p < 0.0001) and modality (p = 0.0002), with higher values in men and in ZC. Main effect (p = 0.0001) for modality emerged also for VO2 and MET, with higher values in ZC regardless of sex. No significant differences were observed for RER, sRPE, or PACES. Conclusions: Although ZC elicited higher cardiovascular and metabolic responses, ZFR, classified as a moderate-to-vigorous activity, could be used to maintain regular physical activity in a safe home environment during the coronavirus crisis.
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