Getting an Edge in Esports: Meeting the Health Needs of Competitive Gamers

The term “esports” is synonymous with a variety of electronic games, including electronic sports, cybersports, competitive computer gaming and virtual sports, as described by a 2017 article published in the official journal for the National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education (NAKHE).¹

Today, esport gamers are generally recognized as athletes—from intercollegiate athletics, where a growing number of universities are offering esport scholarships, to national and global organizations. Annual esports events are held worldwide, such as this May’s “Esports around the world, inside and out” convention being held in Washington D.C. Understanding about the health needs of esport athletes, including nutritional support and opportunities for dietary supplements, is a growing category.

Although the esports market has been growing since the 1990s, according to Esports Insider,² the U.S. officially recognized it in 2013, allowing competitors to apply for temporary work visas as athletes for gaming competitions. The field has a large audience and a commercial structure with more than a dozen notable esports associations and federations. There are esports degrees, including esports management and business. About 190 schools partnered with the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), which offer varsity level esports programs and scholarships.

Breaking Down Esports Gamer Health Stereotypes

Gaming is considered one of the most popular forms of screen entertainment, according to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). One form of esports known as “exergaming,” is defined by the ACSM as technology-driven exercise requiring full-body physical activity, or exercise that goes beyond simple finger and hand movements. It includes virtual sports, group fitness, and other interactive activity. 

Lindsey Toth, director of marketing for Lonza, said that esports players don’t fit the Red-Bull-chugging, potato-chip-crunching gamer stereotype. Instead, she said today’s esports players are consumers whose values align more with that of traditional athletes and regular supplement takers.

Participants aren’t the traditional “young” gamer stereotype either. A study performed by Think with Google found that 30% of gamers are over the age of 34, and 47% of today’s gamers are parents.³ With this insight on the typical gamer profile comes better understanding about gamer health stereotypes as well.

A compilation of data across several sources found that esports players spend anywhere from 5-15 hours per day, 3-6 days per week on their craft.⁴ Graham Ashton for Esports Observer noted that as the industry professionalizes, a standardized approach to training is developing.⁵ This significant amount of training time requires a unique set of nutritional needs for optimal performance.

For gamers, a multitude of skills must be optimized within a fixed environment (e.g., the software). Teams communicate and interact through the execution of collaborative tasks requiring a significant measure of cognitive function and focus.⁶

In addition to these (and other) cognitive needs, a 2020 study published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science outlined issues of note for esport athletes. These include stress, sleep disturbances, vision problems, musculoskeletal pain, overuse injuries, metabolic disorders and/or weight gain.⁷

Esports have only grown in popularity during the pandemic, as seen by proprietary research completed by Lonza.⁸ Analysis found that the global esports audience has grown by 7.8% since 2019 and is projected to reach global revenue of $1.8 million by the end of 2022. This is likely due, in large part, to consumers who have been missing sports amid shutdowns.

According to Karen Hecht, scientific affairs manager for astaxanthin ingredient supplier AstaReal, esports gamers’ unique health concerns actually overlap with those of traditional athletes in many aspects.

Addressing Cognition

Susan Hewlings, director of scientific affairs of Nutrasource, has designed and published studies that target esports players. She identified cognitive health as one of the most important health issues, as gamers want to maintain focus, alertness, reaction, and attention/memory.

“What’s involved in e-gaming, from a cognitive perspective, is very complex,” Hewlings said. “[Cognition] has to be maintained over a period of time. The end result for the e-gamers is that they want to perform better ... but each game has its own unique set of skills that are required.”

The Lonza report affirmed this, with cognition ranking as one of the most valued concerns of esports players surveyed. Eighty-five percent wanted to improve focus, while 69% wanted to improve memory.

Hecht said a high-level esport athlete will average approximately 500-600 moves per minute. That’s over 10 times more than the casual gamer, creating an incredible amount of neural activity. At a base level, neurons are protected by mitochondrial activity, whereas the acids of the brain are susceptible to free radical damage. Because astaxanthin is fat soluble, it can cross the blood/brain barrier. As a result, studies have shown significant improvement in mean response time, memory and recall, and divided attention (multitasking), while decreasing mental fatigue.⁹

Nutrition21’s esports product called nooLVL, a non-stimulant nootropic ingredient of bonded arginine silicate plus inositol, was studied in healthy adult men and women aged 18-32. It was found to enhance cognitive performance in esports athletes involved in fast-paced competitions.¹⁰ The study showed notable improvement in mental acuity and focus while reducing errors and improving attention and reaction time, even after extended gaming. Effects were felt quickly, in as few as 15 minutes. NooLVL is caffeine-free and provides increased energy without negatively affecting heart rate or blood pressure.

“It can be concluded that consuming supplements made with nooLVL can help gamers zone in, focus, and get a leg up on the competition,” said Kate Emerson, manager of scientific affairs at Nutrition21.

PLT Health Solutions is seeing increased activity in the esports market with its portfolio of cognitive and energy ingredients that support focus, attention, executive function, and reaction time. Enhanced mood, reduced stress, and improved executive function are in-demand for active formulations, but can also benefit esports players’ health concerns as well.

PLT’s Zynamite (Mangifera indica extract from mango leaves) was found to decrease standard reaction time by as much as 50 milliseconds. Vice President of Marketing Steve Fink put that in perspective by noting the blink of an eye is 100-400 milliseconds, a 95-mph pitch will reach a batter in 434 milliseconds, and the mean reaction time for sprinters in the Beijing Olympics was 166 milliseconds for males and 189 milliseconds for females.

The company’s Zembrin ingredient (extract of Sceletium tortuosum) supports calmness, enhanced mood and cognitive function.¹¹ Synapsa (standardized form of Bacopa monnieri) supports cognitive health including visual processing, learning rate, working memory, information retention, and mental performance in cognitively demanding environments.¹²

Musculoskeletal Health

Although both traditional and esport athletes may both need joint support, the latter have unique concerns. Repetitive use of a keyboard, mouse, and controller for hours on end can facilitate problems in the thumb joints, wrist, and forearm, noted Angie Rimel, marketing communications manager for GELITA.

According to the Lonza report, 50% of gamers are actively seeking joint support for these and similar concerns.

GELITA’s ingredient portfolio includes bioactive collagen peptides (BCP) that are formulated to increase the strength, quality, and mobility of ligaments and tendons while toning muscles and increasing strength.

Tendoforte is a BCP ingredient that can address overuse of tendon sheaths, such as those causing gamer’s thumb, while Fortigel can reduce stress on joints. Both ingredients can be combined into one supplement to support overuse injuries common with gamers.¹³

Circulation and inflammation are important to overall joint and muscle health as well. OmniActive Health Technologies offers bioavailable Curcuwin Ultra+, which can deliver both joint benefits and muscle recovery. It also provides antioxidants that can support joint pain such as that caused by gamer’s thumb.¹⁴

Astaxanthin, another antioxidant, works in multiple ways to improve muscle strength and recovery. Hecht explained that muscles are energy-rich tissues that are high in mitochondria, providing energy, endurance support, and muscle recovery. Astaxanthin has been found to support energy production within mitochondria.¹⁵ As an esports supplement, astaxanthin supports the production of muscle energy, while helping to neutralize and carry away resulting free radicals.¹⁶ This action is beneficial for all muscles, but is particularly beneficial for vision, thanks to the ingredient’s complex range of eye health benefits.¹⁷

Vision Support

Long-term exposure to blue light from screens can cause oxidative damage.¹⁸ Together with lutein, zeaxanthin is well known for filtering blue light from the retina. Astaxanthin is a cousin compound with more than twice the filtering power, Hecht said. It also supports muscle recovery, including that of the ciliary muscles, which are responsible for changing the shape of the lens whenever the eye refocuses from near to far, and vice versa.¹⁹

This is important, as blue light has been shown to cause long-term damage to the retina, exacerbating or accelerating cataracts and macular degeneration.²⁰ However, consumers are more concerned with alleviating eye fatigue to create a more comfortable experience during gameplay and recovery. Lonza found that 81% of esports players are looking to reduce eye strain, while only 65% are concerned with the impact of blue light.

When shifting focus to view a screen, eye muscles contract and remain contracted for the duration of gameplay, Hecht said, which can cause eye strain over time. Therefore astaxanthin plays a dual role in eye health: providing both immediate relief (alleviating eye strain), and long-term protection (by reducing oxidative damage caused by blue light). Higher doses offer even more support through improved blood flow to the back of the eye, bringing nutrients and carrying away metabolic waste, Hecht said.

Toth suggested protecting the antioxidant properties of commonly-used lutein and astaxanthin or bilberry through lipid multi-particulate technology (LMP). LMP spins ingredients together with a lipid (for example, beeswax) for improved delivery and bioavailability, as well as naturally preserving the ingredient for function and flavor.

Astaxanthin does not block UV light or stop the formation of free radicals, but it provides the resilience needed to neutralize them and to address the ensuing inflammation. Hewlings mentioned that lutein and zeaxanthin as a combination also benefit cognitive function.²¹

OmniActive’s Lutemax 2020 contains lutein and zeaxanthin in the same 5:1 ratio as found naturally in the diet, and has been studied to improve visual performance such as processing speed, visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and glare recovery.²² It also protects against blue light while reducing eye strain associated with screen use.²² This action works double-time for gamers by reducing stress and cortisol, improving emotional and physical health, and increasing cognitive performance in the areas of memory, attention, and psychomotor and processing speeds. After the game, it offers stress support and can improve sleep quality.²³

Meeting Energy Needs

Caffeine is one of the most common supplements used by esports players to improve focus and power through hours-long tournaments. OmniActive’s Xtenergy is a solvent-free, natural caffeine derived from green coffee beans. This sustained release ingredient provides effectiveness over the course of several hours, reducing typical caffeine jitters and the crash that follows.²⁴

Meanwhile, for those who prefer to avoid (or supplement) caffeine use, enXtra, an extract of Alpinia galanga, a spice commonly used in Asian cooking, acts as a caffeine alternative shown to support alertness, focus, and mental energy. One study found a decrease in error rates, while another found it promotes a feeling of calmness.²⁵ 

Immune Support

In Lonza’s report, immune support ranked higher than joint care, with 65% of gamers listing it as a concern. “[Players] want something that will be healthier and protect their wellness,” Toth said. “They don’t want downtime from illness; they want peak performance.”

Because vigorous exercise improves overall immunity, esport player needs in this department are greater than that of traditional athletes, Hecht said. Intense physical activity common in most traditional athletes reduces stress, something that doesn’t generally translate into esports, creating a need for immune support that goes beyond pandemic concerns. In addition to the free radical expression resulting from energy production, Hecht said immune cells create free radicals within the muscles during recovery. While working as an antioxidant, astaxanthin also increases the expression of the body’s own antioxidant enzymes, supporting overall immune health, both within the muscles and out. 

“The consumer understands that antioxidants support the immune system, and there’s a health halo around them knowing that they’re good for health and wellness,” Hecht said, “but we’re just scratching the surface of how they work.”

Applications & Formulations

Because of unique concerns among esports players, there’s both room and need for combination ingredients and creative applications.

Studies in aging populations have found that astaxanthin promotes a significant connection and improvement between cognition and mobility, particularly when combined with zinc and vitamin E. Astaxanthin protects the building blocks of the brain, making its use in combination formulas with such ingredients as omega-3 EPA and DHA a promising prospect.

GELITA’s BCP formulations work well with other ingredients, such as protein blends and other functional ingredients, and can be used to create products that benefit multiple esport health concerns. Different BCP formulations can be used simultaneously in a combo supplement, Rimel said.

Collagen peptides such as BCP are generally non-allergenic, versatile, and dissolve and blend easily with a neutral sensory profile. They are classified as food, Rimel said, making them ideal for clean labeling. Since they are effective in low doses, they can combine well with other ingredients. 

Real life players in Lonza’s survey expressed a desire for ease as well as efficacy and performance in products. Hard to open, sticky, or crumbly foods won’t cut it when they’re in the middle of a tournament or practice session, Toth said.

Lonza’s LMP process stabilizes ingredients, protecting them from acid breakdown in the stomach, providing sustained release, and reducing natural odors and aftertaste while preparing them for use across multiple applications: tablets, powder blends, sachets, capsules, and functional foods and beverages.

GELITA has identified several formulation concepts for its joint supportive Tendoforte ingredient, including: green apple flavored powder, which is enriched with vitamins and caffeine to reduce fatigue; sour lemon gummies; easily soluble powder sachets that can be dissolved drinks, or foods such as yogurt and cereal.

There isn’t a single ingredient that touches on all cognitive concerns, Hecht said. This makes the use of multi-ingredient formulations ideal. Ultimately, Hecht said the common denominator in maintaining energy and focus is a solid, nutrient-rich diet filled with fruits and vegetables. She also recommended finding ways to supplement during tournaments. “At the end of the day, it’s about fine tuning your performance,” Hecht said. “You’re not going to revamp your performance [with a supplement].”

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