The Esports Industry is booming. Whether it’s because of the increasing number of pro gamers who are winning multi-million-dollar tournaments, or explosive growth in the industry itself—there’s no denying that this form of gaming is going mainstream fast.
For older generations, Esports games are considered a waste of time. Most people grew up hearing their parents give no value to Esports games and often emphasized the health risks involved with it. In this post, we’ll address the concerns that older generations have about Esports games and dispel the rumors. We will also discuss what health concerns are actually real—and look at how top Esports teams limit them.
Esports Games… The New Painkiller?
Contrary to what our parents have always said, new research at NCBI suggests that video games may be a useful way of managing pain.
A case study reported on the use of a handheld video game to stop an 8-year-old boy from picking at his face. The child had neurodermatitis and scarring due to continual picking at his upper lip, but previous treatments hadn’t worked so this time he was given a handheld video game—which kept him occupied enough that he stopped digging for scabs and instead focused all of his attention on playing. After two weeks the affected area had healed.
Other studies have shown that video games can provide a cognitive distraction for children during treatments like chemotherapy and sickle-cell disease. These studies found that patients who were distracted by online games during treatment had less nausea and lower blood pressure than those who simply rested.
As you can see, video game tournaments aren’t a waste of time in most cases. In fact, top esports players can earn a living from gaming tournaments, sponsorships, and streaming their games online.
The rumors of the older generation are not relevant in today’s world. Nowadays, most jobs take place online, and businesses can be established and run entirely online—without any physical presence. Lastly, pro gamers can earn a living through their video game tournaments!
What Are the Real Health Risks of being a Pro Gamer?
The esports industry continues to grow at an exponential rate, with millions of people joining and playing video games for money and prizes.
Let’s be clear: it’s not about esports players who may face health risks. Anyone who sits in front of a screen for long hours each day—even an employee—is at risk of developing health problems. This includes neck pain, reduced physical activity that will affect their overall well-being, and eye strain as well as other vision issues
However, there are two main concerns that come with video game tournaments. One is the physical consequences: Repetitive movements associated with video games (e.g., carpal tunnel syndrome). The other is mental issues: Players under immense pressure from the gaming competition can develop depression or anxiety. Sleep deprivation is a common problem for pro gamers who stay up late and play during the day.
In addition, the adrenaline rush that results from being excited about winning can become addictive—which is why The World Health Organization believes video games may contribute to an addiction disorder in young people (especially teenagers).
But it is mainly for people who lack self-control. That’s why we recommend that teenagers who want to become professional esports players have a mentor. This will help them balance their lives with hard training and other activities like school, physical activity, personal hygiene—and socializing!
Smash The Competition, Not Your Body!
While many esports teams describe their routine as “Eat. Sleep. Game. Repeat.” because of the gaming competitions that they take part in, this does not have to be true for everyone.
There’s more to the career of a pro gamer than just sitting in front of a PC or gaming competitions. Professional gamers take care of their bodies and general health not only because it helps them win, but also because they can end up with serious health problems otherwise.
To be the next professional gamer, you need to train several hours per day—and that comes with physical costs if you are not committed to a healthy routine.
How a League of Legends Pro Spends His Day
In an interview with Intel, Clutch Gaming Academy’s Cody Sun—one of the League of Legends teams—discusses his daily routine:
Instead of grinding out as many games as possible every single day, Cody Sun strives to maintain a proper sleep schedule and social life—while still managing to win. The post on Intel‘s blog quoted him as saying:
“I do think that the most, or the best players in our industry are the ones that are able to find the best schedule for themselves, and, you know, be as efficient as they can with their lifestyle—practicing as well as exercising and eating well and having a decent social life as well.”
He said the League of Legends team’s approach is to have a healthy lifestyle and mindset, then practice efficiently.
He also insisted that the person who practices until 3 am is not necessarily working harder than someone practicing till 11:30 pm and sleeping at 12 am—this person, on the other hand, has a better discipline and this will translate into other areas in their life including gaming.
In conclusion, some pro gamers set an example for gamers and non-gamers alike with their dedication to healthy living and training. As long as you’re aware of the risks that sitting for hours on end and playing esports games can have on your health, you can make sure to balance out the time spent doing those things with other activities such as physical exercise, sleep, or social interactions. Like any other job, if you want to do well at gaming and be a successful player, it’s important that you take care of yourself.
References:
Griffiths M. Video games and health. Bmj. 2005 Jul 14;331(7509):122-3
World Health Organization. Excessive screen use and gaming considerations during #COVID19 [Online]. Available at: <https://www.emro.who.int/mnh/news/considerations-for-young-people-on-excessive-screen-use-during-covid19.html> (Accessed on 30.10.2022)
World Health Organization. Addictive behaviours: Gaming disorder [Online]. Available at: <https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/addictive-behaviours-gaming-disorder> (Accessed on 30.10.2022)
Intel. The Daily Regimen of Players in Professional Gaming [Online]. Available at: <https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/gaming/resources/gamer-life.html> (Accessed on 30.10.2022)
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