Exercise Improves Video Game Performance: A Win–Win Situation

Abstract

Purpose Video gamers exceeding screen-time limits are at greater risk of experiencing health issues associated with physical inactivity. Demonstrating that exercise has positive effects on video game performance could promote physical activity among video gamers. We investigated the short-term effects of a single session of cardiovascular exercise on the performance of the popular video game League of Legends (LoL) and explored psychosocial mechanisms. Methods Twenty young video gamers played a customized LoL task preceded by a short bout of high-intensity interval training or a period of rest. The two conditions were administered on two separate days in a randomized counterbalanced fashion. Video game performance was assessed as the total number of targets eliminated as well as accuracy, defined as the ability to eliminate targets using single attacks. Short-term changes in affect after exercise as well as exercise enjoyment were also assessed. Results Exercise improved (P = 0.027) the capacity to eliminate targets (mean ± SEM, 121.17 ± 3.78) compared with rest (111.38 ± 3.43). Exercise also enhanced accuracy (P = 0.019), with fewer targets eliminated with more than one attack after exercise (1.39 ± 0.39) compared with rest (2.44 ± 0.51). Exercise increased positive affect by 17% (P = 0.007), but neither affect nor exercise enjoyment was associated with total number of targets eliminated or accuracy. Conclusion A short bout of intense cardiovascular exercise before playing LoL improves video game performance. More studies are needed to establish whether these effects are generalizable to other video games, whether repeated bouts have summative effects, and to identify underlying mechanisms.

Physical Activity Levels of Adult Virtual Football Players

“…Kari and Karhulahti (2016) also showed that 9% of elite esports players (from several esports genres) reported the main reason for being active was improving esports performance and 6% believed that integrating physical exercise in their training programmes has a positive effect on esports performance. Actually, recent studies highlighted the association between physical activity and increased esports performance (i.e., accuracy and objective fulfilment, and cognitive aspects of gaming) (de Las Heras et al, 2020;Toth et al, 2020). The fact that the current study included both elite and recreational virtual football players might be a reason to different perceptions to that question.…”

“…Actually, esports players at elite levels of different esports genres have been reported to be physically active, which is against the empirical notion that esports players are inactive (Kari and Karhulahti, 2016;Trotter et al, 2020). Besides, exercise and physical activity might be important to increased esports performance (de Las Heras et al, 2020;Toth et al, 2020). With Portuguese esports scene rising (Fepodele, 2019)-with special emphasis in virtual football -, it is vital to know more about the physical activity levels of people engaged with esports and understand the relationship between esports practice, sedentary time and motivations for being physically active.…”

“…Interestingly, recent studies on physical activity levels of videogame and esports players stated that esports game play and involvement-related physical activity is high and could be a driving force to enhanced physical activity for both players and viewers (Pereira et al, 2019;de Las Heras et al, 2020). This would be especially relevant in those esports related to traditional sports (Ballard et al, 2009), such as virtual football.…”

Breaking up prolonged sitting with a 6 min walk improves executive function in women and men esports players: a randomised trial

“…De Las Heras et al exercised gamers using HIIT for 15 min at an RPE of 15.17 (0.34), which translates to working 'hard' or 'heavy'. 26 The average RPE for participants in the walking condition in this study was 10.5 (2.8), which translates to 'light' intensity effort. Interestingly, the RPE for gaming was higher than the RPE for the walking break.…”

Confinamiento y ejercicio. Estrategias audiovisuales contra el sedentarismo

“…Es común asociar videojuegos y sedentarismo, pero no es una relación correcta, como desmienten algunos estudios (Griffiths, 2002;De las Heras, et al 2020). Muchas empresas de videojuegos han apostado por levantar al jugador y obligarle a moverse más.…”