and impaired sleep patterns.
Given the necessity of being seated
for hours on end, posture is also
negatively affected in eSport gamers,
resulting in neck and back pain. In
addition, the survey found 40 percent of
players get no physical activity,
furthering susceptibility to injury due to
weakened musculature.
The high number of hours dedicated
to practice could easily cause overuse
injuries, and that risk is compounded by
the intensity of game play. The average
novice players make approximately 50
action moves per minute. However,
higher level players make 500-600
action moves per minute—or about 10
moves per second.
In addition to overuse injuries, there
are mental health issues related to
eSports, including addictive behavior,
personal hygiene issues, social anxiety,
and sleep disturbances.
"The common concerns and injuries
that are seen in eSport athletes are
not the typical injuries seen in
traditional student athletes," says
Dr. Zwibel .
Catching up
Colleges, universities, and high schools
are adding eSport teams at a rapid
pace. In the US, There are more than 50
colleges with varsity eSport teams under
the National Association of Collegiate
eSports, and 22 colleges in the US
currently offer scholarships for gaming.
The NCAA is currently investigating
whether to recognize eSport.
Researchers say schools need to also
provide the same level of preventive
training and care and injury treatment
expected for traditional athletes. Dr.
Zwibel says college eSport teams
require the support of multidisciplinary
medical staff who can identify and
address social or addictive behaviors,
like changes in academic or work
performance, and chronic eSport
gaming injuries, such as wrist or hand
problems, eye strain and postural
assessments.
"The common concerns and injuries
that are seen in eSport athletes are not
the typical injuries seen in traditional
student athletes," says Dr. Zwibel.
"Many physicians and athletic trainers
may not identify these injuries because
eSports are relatively new and the
health consequences are emerging as
these teams become more common."