The Emergence of eSports Nutrition: A Review

Abstract

Peak cognitive performance is of paramount importance for the sports and competitive activities that depend on a high level of cognitive performance, such as eSports. The popularity of eSports has increased rapidly in recent years and will probably continue to rise in the forthcoming years. Above all, eSports practitioners require higher levels of cognitive abilities and motor skills for optimal performance and may benefit from adequate body composition and proper nutrition, as happens with more traditional athletes. However, there is a noticeable shortage of scientific knowledge in this area, including in nutritional-related aspects. Therefore, the objective of this non-systematic review is to summarize the nutritional strategies that may enhance health, cognitive performance, decrease reaction time and minimize fatigue. This information may be relevant for eSports competitors and set a base for further investigations, which could ultimately lead to the establishment of nutritional recommendations specific for this competitive population.

Sociodemographics, playing Habits, adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern, dietary supplements intake, physical activity level, and degree of Internet gaming disorder of Portuguese chess players

“…Excessive body fat significantly raises the risk of a myriad of health complications, including cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome 18 , mild cognitive impairment, and brain atrophy 9 , which could impair chess performance.…”

“…Additionally, given that most respondents in our sample had college degrees, the most dedicated and professional chess players may acknowledge glucose as the brain's primary energy source 9 and be aware of its potential nootropic qualities. Thus, they might resort to sweet pastries, sugary confectionaries, and soft drinks as sources of simple sugars to enhance their performance in chess practice and competitions.…”

“…Sedentarism 8 , inadequate dietary habits, and obesity are all linked to decreased cognitive function, in part due to raised neuroinflammation 9 .…”

“…In contrast, a healthy lifestyle that includes physical activity 8 , an adequate BMI, and adherence to a balanced diet (e.g., Mediterranean diet) 9 correlates with optimal cognition.…”

Coaching and talent development in esports: a theoretical framework and suggestions for future research

“…There has been a rapid increase in academic research in esports (see Reitman et al, 2020 for a review) across multiple domains including business, marketing, and sport psychology. Beyond the need for physical (e.g., posture, physical fitness; Trotter et al, 2020 ; Migliore et al, 2021 ), nutritional ( Ribeiro et al, 2021 ), and mental/psychological preparation (e.g., emotional regulation; Poulus et al, 2022 ), there is value in developing an objective understanding of skill acquisition in sports. However, no research has explicitly explored the domain of skill acquisition.…”