Energy expended playing Xbox Kinect™ and Wii™ games: a preliminary study comparing single and multiplayer modes.

OBJECTIVES: It has been reported that a higher galvanic skin response is seen when playing video games against another human player than when playing alone, which suggests increased effort. The objectives of this study were to compare energy expenditure when playing two popular active video game consoles, and to compare energy expenditure when playing in single and multiplayer modes. DESIGN: Crossover trial with randomised playing order. PARTICIPANTS: Fourteen healthy adults with a mean age of 21 [standard deviation (SD) 3] years. METHODS AND INTERVENTIONS: Energy expenditure was measured using an indirect calorimeter at rest, during 10 minutes of play on Xbox Kinect™ Reflex Ridge in both single and multiplayer modes, and during 10 minutes of play on Wii™ Sports Boxing in both single and multiplayer modes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Metabolic equivalents (METs), heart rate, oxygen consumption and kilocalories expended. RESULTS: The energy expenditure during all gaming conditions was of a light intensity. Playing on the Xbox Kinect elicited greater energy expenditure than playing on the Wii [mean difference=0.9 METs, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.2 to 1.5]. Playing games in multiplayer mode led to greater energy expenditure (mean difference=0.5 METs, 95% CI 0.1 to 0.9) and heart rate (mean difference=7.9 beats/minute, 95% CI 2.0 to 13.8) than playing in single player mode. CONCLUSIONS: No gaming condition required moderate-intensity activity in this group of young healthy adults. Potential explanations for the difference in energy expenditure seen between consoles and modes are discussed.

Amorphous spray-dried hydroflumethiazide-polyvinylpyrrolidone systems: physiochemical properties.

Hydroflumethiazide was spray-dried with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) to produce products containing 0-30% PVP. These systems were amorphous and differed from previously prepared coprecipitates of similar composition. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) suggested that at low PVP weight fractions both amorphous drug and an amorphous drug-PVP complex can be present in spray-dried systems. The apparent solubility of hydroflumethiazide in spray-dried products increased with increasing PVP content reaching a plateau value approximately four times that of the pure crystalline drug. The estimated free energy and entropy of the spray-dried drug were greater than that of crystalline drug and also increased with increasing PVP content. Dissolution studies with compressed discs supported the apparent solubility data. The results suggest that amorphous phases having different orders of organization are formed in spray-dried systems with increasing PVP content.