Professional gamers are suffering sore necks, backs and wrists as well as blurred vision and mental health issues, a study has found.
Esports has boomed into a lucrative industry in recent years, attracting full-time competitors who play in sold-out arenas for huge prize pots.
But researchers have warned being slumped in front of a screen for hours upon hours can trigger a string of injuries – just like in other sports.
They have now called for a host of changes including getting gamers to exercise more, take frequent breaks and sit further away from screens.
The quarter finals of the esports world championship match in Madrid, Spain. The esports profession has boomed into a lucrative industry attracting full-time competitors who play in sell-out arenas for huge prize pots
Dr Hallie Zwibel, co-author of the paper, said: ‘Given esports are played while sitting, you’d think it would be literally impossible to get injured.
‘The truth is they suffer over-use injuries like any other athlete but also significant health concerns from the sedentary nature of the sport.
‘We’re really just now realising how physically and mentally demanding esports can be.
‘Like any other college or pro-level athlete, they need trainers, physical therapists and physicians to help them optimize their performance and maintain long-term health.’
Experts at the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine examined the self-reported health quality of collegiate esports competitors during game-play by reviewing a slew of previous studies.
They found that 35 per cent of gamers experience neck or back pain, 30 per cent have hand or wrist pain and more than half suffer eye fatigue.
Over 50 per cent of collegiate gamers are hooked on a screen for two hours each day without a break, while more than a quarter play more than five hours (pictured: the gaming festival in Dubai)
The most common reported complaint was tired eyes, known as computer vision syndrome.
More than 50 per cent of collegiate gamers are hooked on a screen for two hours each day without a break, while more than a quarter play more than five hours.
Dr Zwibel said that the lack of contrast and definition in pixel-generated computer images increases strain on the eyes which leads to blurred vision.
To alleviate eye fatigue, it is recommended screens should be placed five inches below one’s horizontal line of sight and be at least 20 inches away.
Moreover, the lights in the room should be modified to reduce the glare from the screen.
Gamers are also advised to peel their eyes off the screen every 20 minutes and stare into the distance for 20 seconds.
Prolonged game-time also impacted the players’ necks and backs, with over a third reporting pangs of pain while gaming.
Within 30 minutes of play, research revealed gamers’ heads were drooped forward compared to the spine.
This placed stress on neck muscles which could lead to imbalances, the team wrote in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association.
Backrests in gaming chairs exacerbate this stress, the authors claim, by flattening the lumbar and increasing muscle tension. But if you use chairs with neck support you will feel better and you can’t feel stress while playing games for a long period of time.
Dr Zwibel and his team advised stretching and exercises to strengthen the neck and back.
In addition to pain experienced while gaming, the authors also cited several damaging traits of career gamers.
A study they cited found that 40 per cent of esports professionals do not partake in any form of exercise.
And many of them fuel themselves with caffeine and sugar-loaded energy drinks such as GFuel, which markets itself as the ‘official’ drink of esports.
Dr Zwibel also warns of mental health problems associated with esports, manifesting itself in depression and anxiety.
So-called Internet Gaming Disorder affects five million Americans who exhibit at least five of the following symptoms for a year: continued excessive use despite psychosocial problems, deception, escape, functional impairment, loss of interests, preoccupation tolerance, unsuccessful attempts to control, and withdrawal.