Exercise Program for Esports Athletes

Overseen By Timothy Tiu, MD

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Miami

Disqualifiers: Non-UM esports members, Injury, Cognitive impairment, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: Unknown

Duration: 6 weeks

15 Participants Needed

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores how a special exercise program can help esports athletes improve reaction time and mouse click accuracy. The program combines resistance and cardiovascular training, which may also enhance cognitive function, performance, sleep, and overall quality of life. Suitable candidates for this trial include University of Miami students who play video games for at least one hour a week and can engage in full-body exercises without health issues. As an unphased trial, participants can contribute to innovative research that could enhance esports performance and personal well-being.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that this exercise program is safe for esports athletes?

Studies have shown that exercise programs are generally safe for esports athletes. Research indicates that combining strength training with exercises that enhance heart and lung health can boost overall well-being without serious risks. For example, one study found that physical training programs improve both the physical and mental health of esports players.

Although specific details on negative side effects from these programs were not provided, exercise is usually well-tolerated by healthy individuals. Since this trial focuses on exercise, a common and safe activity, participants are unlikely to experience harmful effects. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the exercise program for esports athletes because it combines resistance and cardiovascular training, specifically designed to address the unique physical demands of competitive gaming. Unlike traditional exercise routines, which might focus solely on general fitness, this program targets both strength and endurance, key for improving posture, reducing injury risk, and enhancing overall performance in esports. This approach is particularly promising as it aims to optimize physical health without interrupting gaming schedules, potentially offering esports athletes a tailored solution that existing general fitness programs do not provide.

What evidence suggests that this exercise program is effective for improving esports athletes' reaction time and mouse click accuracy?

Research shows that combining strength training and cardio can enhance esports performance. In this trial, participants will undergo a resistance and cardiovascular training intervention. One study found that players who regularly engaged in cardio exercises performed better in esports over time. Exercise also correlates with faster reaction times and improved gaming accuracy. Another study demonstrated that esports players who followed a structured exercise plan improved both their physical and gaming skills. These findings suggest that exercise could help esports players react faster and click more accurately. ^{1 6 7 8 9}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Timothy Tiu, MD

Principal Investigator

University of Miami

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for esports athletes who want to improve their gaming skills. Participants should be interested in seeing if exercise can help with reaction time and mouse accuracy. The study will look at how resistance and cardiovascular training might benefit thinking, performance, sleep, and overall quality of life.

Inclusion Criteria

University of Miami electronic sports (esports) club team members

Exclusion Criteria

I cannot join a full body exercise program due to an injury or health condition.

Non-University of Miami electronic sports (esports) club team members

Individuals who cannot comprehend basic instruction on exercise whether due to a cognitive impairment or language barrier (i.e., non-English speaker)

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1-2 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive resistance combined with cardiovascular training intervention

6 weeks

Weekly sessions

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in reaction time and mouse accuracy after the exercise program

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Resistance combined with cardiovascular training

Trial Overview

The trial is testing a specific exercise program combining resistance training with cardiovascular workouts to see if it improves the reaction times and mouse click accuracy of esports athletes.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Resistance combined with cardiovascular training group Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants in this group will receive the resistance combined with cardiovascular training intervention for up to 6 weeks

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Miami

Lead Sponsor

Trials

976

Recruited

423,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

Engaging in both moderate endurance exercise and specific strength training programs significantly enhances physical performance and improves cardiovascular health, making them essential for managing cardiovascular risk factors and diseases.

Higher-intensity interval training is now recommended alongside traditional exercise methods, with a focus on personalized load control to optimize recovery and performance, emphasizing that increasing daily activity, such as achieving over 7500 to 10,000 steps, also contributes positively to cardiovascular health.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Sport and exercise in prevention and therapy of cardiovascular diseases]. Hacke, C., Weisser, B.[2021]

A 30-minute immersive virtual reality (IVR) exergaming session resulted in a high energy expenditure of 440 calories and a mean heart rate of 176 beats per minute, indicating significant metabolic and physiological demand among 14 healthy college-aged participants.

Participants found the IVR training enjoyable, rating it as 'somewhat hard-to-hard' on the exertion scale, and reported no symptoms of cybersickness, suggesting that IVR exergaming could be a safe and effective way to enhance fitness and health.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Physiological and Metabolic Requirements, and User-Perceived Exertion of Immersive Virtual Reality Exergaming Incorporating an Adaptive Cable Resistance System: An Exploratory Study. Hu, J., Browne, JD., Arnold, MT., et al.[2021]

Regular weight-training can lead to positive adaptations in cardiovascular health, including decreased heart rate during maximal work and improved myocardial structure, which may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Resistance training can also enhance aerobic capacity and improve metabolic health markers like glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, although caution is advised for individuals with existing cardiovascular conditions due to potential blood pressure responses.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Health- and performance-related potential of resistance training. Stone, MH., Fleck, SJ., Triplett, NT., et al.[2022]

Citations

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Cardiovascular and Affective Outcomes of Active Gaming

This study compared the emotional and cardiovascular effects of Wii games with those of traditional exercise in college-aged adults with different exercise ...

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The Effects of Cardiovascular Exercise on eSport Performance

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An Extended Study on Training and Physical Exercise in ...

Based on this data, high-level esport players train approximately 5.28 hours every day around the year and professional esport players at least the same amount.

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Compared to SELF, the IVR group had significantly greater improvement in changes from baseline to post-training in upper-and-lower muscular strength (1-RM) and ...

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frontiersin.org

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An 8-week physical exercise intervention for e'athletes ...

This study aims to evaluate the effects of specific and general physical training on gaming performance, hypothesizing improvements in both physical and gaming ...

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pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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An integrated health management model to improve the ...

The Integrated Health Management Model can effectively improve the overall health level of esports athletes through the integration and synergy of multiple ...

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frontiersin.org

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Physical Activity and Health Promotion in Esports ...

This paper presents the potential of the esports phenomenon to promote physical activity, health, and well-being in gamers and esports players.

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The aim of this systematic review was to assess whether evidence supports that PA/exercise positively impacts esports player performance.

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Effects of a Physical Training Program on Cognitive and ...

The present study focused on the effects of a physical training program on physical- and psychological-related variables in professional esports players.