This is an outdated version published on 2023-04-04. Read the most recent version.
Preprint / Version 1

Training, lifestyle and physiological conditions and performance in esports: a review

##article.authors##

  • Julien Nicolas Rodrigues-Vion Neuropro Consulting-Neurocoaching, 6 rue de Vaux 72190 Sargé-lès-le-Mans, France
  • Matthieu Baliros-Bonnel PsychoBaBo-Psychologie Clinique, 19 rue Mézeray 61210, France
  • Florine Rodrigues-Vion Neuropro Consulting-Neurocoaching, 6 rue de Vaux 72190 Sargé-lès-le-Mans, France
  • Slyde Assadan The Rise Up-Psychologie sociale, 76 rue Paul Bert 94290, Villeneuve le Roi, France
  • Elpidio Attoh-Mensah Normandie Université, UNICAEN, INSERM, COMETE, CYCERON, CHU de Caen, 14000 Caen, France

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51224/SRXIV.278

Keywords:

Esports, performance optimization, multimodal training, mental training, coaching, emotion management

Abstract

Esports practices are fast-growing worldwide with the increasing interest of numerous spectators. Given the competitiveness inherent to this activity, performance optimization is crucial to a large number of professional gamers and staff. However, scientific data, regarding critical factors that could favor such optimization, are still scant. This narrative review aims to provide a brief overview of studies that have examined the impact of lifestyle and psychophysiological parameters on esports players’ performance. It has been shown that these factors are significant in a competitive context. The results describe the essential role of, sleep patterns, cognitive abilities, nutrition, and psychological functioning for optimal performance in esports. In addition, the following technics including social cohesion, setting up clear life goals, internal discourse, and mental toughness technics positively affected esports players’ performance. Our review also suggests that a multimodal coaching program for esports players, that considers all the aforementioned psychophysiological parameters, would account for the most benefits on performance.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

Abad-Tortosa, D., Alacreu-Crespo, A., Costa, R., Salvador, A., & Serrano, M. Á. (2017). Sex differences in autonomic response and situational appraisal of a competitive situation in young adults. Biological Psychology, 126, 61–70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2017.04.008

Adamus, T. (2012). Playing Computer Games as Electronic Sport: In Search of a Theoretical Framework for a New Research Field. In J. Fromme & A. Unger (Eds.), Computer Games and New Media Cultures: A Handbook of Digital Games Studies (pp. 477–490). Springer Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2777-9_30

Adinolf, S., & Turkay, S. (2018). Toxic Behaviors in Esports Games: Player Perceptions and Coping Strategies. Proceedings of the 2018 Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play Companion Extended Abstracts, 365–372. https://doi.org/10.1145/3270316.3271545

Arnaez, J., Frey, G., Cothran, D., Lion, M., & Chomistek, A. (2018). Physical Wellness Among Gaming Adults: Cross-Sectional Study. JMIR Serious Games, 6(2), e12. https://doi.org/10.2196/games.9571

Behnke, M., Gross, J. J., & Kaczmarek, L. D. (2020). The role of emotions in esports performance. Emotion (Washington, D.C.). https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000903

Bertran, E., & Chamarro, A. (2016b). Video gamers of League of Legends: The role of passion in abusive use and in performance. Adicciones, 28(1), 28–34. https://doi.org/10.20882/adicciones.787

Brain interaction for mobile games | Proceedings of the 15th International Academic MindTrek Conference: Envisioning Future Media Environments. (n.d.). ACM Other Conferences. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/2181037.2181045

Cejudo, J., López Delgado, M., & Losada, L. (2019). Effectiveness of the videogame “Spock” for the improvement of the emotional intelligence on psychosocial adjustment in adolescents. Computers in Human Behavior, 101, 180–186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.09.028

Charland, P., Allaire-Duquette, G., & Léger, P.-M. (2012). Collecting neurophysiological data to investigate users’ cognitive state during game play. Journal on Computing, 2, 20–24.

Cheng, W.-N. K., Hardy, L., & Woodman, T. (2011). Predictive validity of a three-dimensional model of performance anxiety in the context of tae-kwon-do. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 33(1), 40–53. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.33.1.40

Collins, T. (2017). Psychological Skills Training Manual for eSports Athletes. Masters of Education in Human Movement, Sport, and Leisure Studies Graduate Projects. https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/hmsls_mastersprojects/49

Coulton, P., Wylie, C., & Bamford, W. (2011). Brain interaction for mobile games. Proceedings of the 15th International Academic MindTrek Conference: Envisioning Future Media Environments, MindTrek 2011. https://doi.org/10.1145/2181037.2181045

Dahl, M., Tryding, M., Heckler, A., & Nyström, M. (2021). Quiet Eye and Computerized Precision Tasks in First-Person Shooter Perspective Esport Games. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 676591. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.676591

Elliot, A. J., Dweck, C. S., & Yeager, D. S. (Eds.). (2017). Handbook of competence and motivation: Theory and application, 2nd ed. The Guilford Press.

Esports. (2020, January 24). International Esports Federation. https://iesf.org/esports

Finch, C. (2006). A new framework for research leading to sports injury prevention. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 9(1–2), 3–9; discussion 10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2006.02.009

Fuster, H., Chamarro, A., Carbonell, X., & Vallerand, R. J. (2014). Relationship between passion and motivation for gaming in players of massively multiplayer online role-playing games. Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, 17(5), 292–297. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2013.0349

Gable, P., & Harmon-Jones, E. (2010). The motivational dimensional model of affect: Implications for breadth of attention, memory, and cognitive categorisation. COGNITION AND EMOTION, 24, 322–337. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699930903378305

García-Lanzo, S., & Chamarro, A. (2018). Basic psychological needs, passion and motivations in amateur and semi-professional eSports players. https://doi.org/10.51698/aloma.2018.36.2.59-68

Global eSports market revenue 2024. (n.d.). Statista. Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/490522/global-esports-market-revenue/

Gomes, M. A., Narciso, F. V., de Mello, M. T., & Esteves, A. M. (2021a). Identifying electronic-sport athletes’ sleep-wake cycle characteristics. Chronobiology International, 38(7), 1002–1009. https://doi.org/10.1080/07420528.2021.1903480

Granic, I., Lobel, A., & Engels, R. C. M. E. (2014). The benefits of playing video games. The American Psychologist, 69(1), 66–78. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0034857

Gucciardi, D. F., Hanton, S., Gordon, S., Mallett, C. J., & Temby, P. (2015). The concept of mental toughness: tests of dimensionality, nomological network, and traitness. Journal of Personality, 83(1), 26–44. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12079

Harris, D. J., Allen, K. L., Vine, S. J., & Wilson, M. R. (2021). A systematic review and meta-analysis of the relationship between flow states and performance. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 0(0), 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984X.2021.1929402

Hemenover, S. H., & Bowman, N. D. (2018). Video games, emotion, and emotion regulation: expanding the scope. Annals of the International Communication Association, 42(2), 125–143. https://doi.org/10.1080/23808985.2018.1442239

Hulaj, R., Nyström, M. B. T., Sörman, D. E., Backlund, C., Röhlcke, S., & Jonsson, B. (2020). A Motivational Model Explaining Performance in Video Games. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1510. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01510

Jevin, A. S. (2021). Le développement du e-sport : histoire de la compétition vidéoludique, définition du e-sport et approche psychologique du progamer. Nouvelle Revue de l’Enfance et de l’Adolescence, 5(2), 59–76.

Johnston, D., Bell, C., Jones, M., Farquharson, B., Allan, J., Schofield, P., Ricketts, I., & Johnston, M. (2016). Stressors, Appraisal of Stressors, Experienced Stress and Cardiac Response: A Real-Time, Real-Life Investigation of Work Stress in Nurses. Annals of Behavioral Medicine: A Publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, 50(2), 187–197. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-015-9746-8

Kari, T., & Karhulahti, V.-M. (2016). Do E-Athletes Move?: A Study on Training and Physical Exercise in Elite E-Sports. International Journal of Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations, 8, 53–66. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJGCMS.2016100104

Knoblich, G., Butterfill, S., & Sebanz, N. (2011). Psychological Research on Joint Action. In Psychology of Learning and Motivation (Vol. 54, pp. 59–101). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-385527-5.00003-6

Kobasa, S. C. (1979). Stressful life events, personality, and health: an inquiry into hardiness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 37(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.37.1.1

Kou, Y., & Gui, X. (2020). Emotion Regulation in eSports Gaming: A Qualitative Study of League of Legends. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 4. https://doi.org/10.1145/3415229

Lautenbach, F., Leisterer, S., Walter, N., Kronenberg, L., Manges, T., Leis, O., Pelikan, V., Gebhardt, S., & Elbe, A.-M. (2020). Amateur and Recreational Athletes’ Motivation to Exercise, Stress, and Coping During the Corona Crisis. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 611658. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.611658

Lazarus, R. S. (2000). Toward better research on stress and coping. The American Psychologist, 55(6), 665–673. https://doi.org/10.1037//0003-066x.55.6.665

Lazarus, R. S. (2012). Evolution of a model of stress, coping, and discrete emotions. In Handbook of stress, coping, and health: Implications for nursing research, theory, and practice, 2nd ed (pp. 199–223). Sage Publications, Inc.

Lee, J. S. (2021). Exploring Stress in Esports Gaming: Physiological and Data-driven approach on Tilt [UC Irvine]. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/61p8c951

Lee, S., Bonnar, D., Kim, Y., Lee, Y., Lee, S., Gradisar, M., & Suh, S. (2020). Sleep Characteristics and Risk Factors of Korean Esports Athletes: An Exploratory Study. Sleep Medicine Research, 11(2), 77–87. https://doi.org/10.17241/smr.2020.00773

Lee, S., Bonnar, D., Roane, B., Gradisar, M., Dunican, I. C., Lastella, M., Maisey, G., & Suh, S. (2021). Sleep Characteristics and Mood of Professional Esports Athletes: A Multi-National Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(2), 664. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020664

Leis, O., & Lautenbach, F. (2020). Psychological and physiological stress in non-competitive and competitive esports settings: A systematic review. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 101738. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2020.101738

LeNorgant, E. J. (2019). Sport-related Anxiety and Self-talk Between Traditional Sports and ESports [M.A., California State University, Fresno]. https://www.proquest.com/docview/2271954880/abstract/C17630FF4E9E4AF1PQ/1

Marker, C., Gnambs, T., & Appel, M. (2022). Exploring the myth of the chubby gamer: A meta-analysis on sedentary video gaming and body mass. Social Science & Medicine (1982), 301, 112325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.05.030

Masséglia, M. D. (n.d.). Communication du groupe de travail sur l’e-sport. 9.

Mayor, E. (2015). Gender roles and traits in stress and health. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 779. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00779

McCormick, A., Meijen, C., & Marcora, S. (2015). Psychological Determinants of Whole-Body Endurance Performance. Sports Medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 45(7), 997–1015. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-015-0319-6

McEwen, B. S., Bowles, N. P., Gray, J. D., Hill, M. N., Hunter, R. G., Karatsoreos, I. N., & Nasca, C. (2015). Mechanisms of stress in the brain. Nature Neuroscience, 18(10), 1353–1363. https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.4086

McRae, K., & Gross, J. J. (2020). Emotion regulation. Emotion (Washington, D.C.), 20(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1037/emo0000703

Mendoza, G., Clemente-Suárez, V. J., Alvero-Cruz, J. R., Rivilla, I., García-Romero, J., Fernández-Navas, M., Albornoz-Gil, M. C. de, & Jiménez, M. (2021a). The Role of Experience, Perceived Match Importance, and Anxiety on Cortisol Response in an Official Esports Competition. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(6), 2893. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18062893

Migliore, L., Moore, M. N., & McGee, C. (2021). Handbook of Esports Medicine: Clinical Aspects of Competitive Video Gaming. Springer Nature.

Mikolajczak, M. (2010). Going Beyond The Ability-Trait Debate: The Three-Level Model of Emotional Intelligence. E-Journal of Applied Psychology, 5. https://doi.org/10.7790/ejap.v5i2.175

Mirifar, A., Beckmann, J., & Ehrlenspiel, F. (2017). Neurofeedback as supplementary training for optimizing athletes’ performance: A systematic review with implications for future research. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 75, 419–432. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.02.005

Moen, F., Vatn, M., Olsen, M., Haugan, J. A., & Skalicka, V. (2021). Sleep Characteristics in Esport Players and Associations With Game Performance: Residual Dynamic Structural Equation Modeling. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 3, 697535. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2021.697535

Moore, L. J., Vine, S. J., Wilson, M. R., & Freeman, P. (2012). The effect of challenge and threat states on performance: an examination of potential mechanisms. Psychophysiology, 49(10), 1417–1425. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8986.2012.01449.x

Nagorsky, E., & Wiemeyer, J. (2020). The structure of performance and training in esports. PloS One, 15(8), e0237584. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0237584

Nakamura, J., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2002). The concept of flow. In Handbook of positive psychology (pp. 89–105). Oxford University Press.

Ochsner, K. N., & Gross, J. J. (2014). The neural bases of emotion and emotion regulation: A valuation perspective. In Handbook of emotion regulation, 2nd ed (pp. 23–42). The Guilford Press.

Papo, D. (2019). Neurofeedback: Principles, appraisal, and outstanding issues. The European Journal of Neuroscience, 49(11), 1454–1469. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejn.14312

Pedraza-Ramirez, I., Musculus, L., Raab, M., & Laborde, S. (2020). Setting the scientific stage for esports psychology: a systematic review. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 13(1), 319–352. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984X.2020.1723122

Posner, J., Russell, J. A., & Peterson, B. S. (2005). The circumplex model of affect: an integrative approach to affective neuroscience, cognitive development, and psychopathology. Development and Psychopathology, 17(3), 715–734. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579405050340

Poulus, D., Coulter, T. J., Trotter, M. G., & Polman, R. (2020). Stress and Coping in Esports and the Influence of Mental Toughness. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 628. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00628

Ribeiro, F. J., Viana, V. M., Borges, N. P., & Teixeira, V. H. (2021). The Emergence of eSports Nutrition: A Review. Central European Journal of Sport Sciences and Medicine, 33, 81–95. https://doi.org/10.18276/cej.2021.1-08

Rieger, D., Frischlich, L., Wulf, T., Bente, G., & Kneer, J. (2014). Eating ghosts: The underlying mechanisms of mood repair via interactive and noninteractive media. Psychology of Popular Media Culture. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000018

Rogers, R. (2017). The motivational pull of video game feedback, rules, and social interaction: Another self-determination theory approach. Computers in Human Behavior, 73, 446–450. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.03.048

Rudolf, K., Bickmann, P., Froböse, I., Tholl, C., Wechsler, K., & Grieben, C. (2020). Demographics and Health Behavior of Video Game and eSports Players in Germany: The eSports Study 2019. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(6), E1870. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17061870

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. The American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78. https://doi.org/10.1037//0003-066x.55.1.68

Schneider, L. (2020). Neurobiology and Neuroprotective Benefits of Sleep. Continuum (Minneapolis, Minn.), 26(4), 848–870. https://doi.org/10.1212/CON.0000000000000878

Smith, M., Birch, P., & Bright, D. (2019). Identifying Stressors and Coping Strategies of Elite Esports Competitors. International Journal of Gaming and Computer-Mediated Simulations, 11, 22–39. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJGCMS.2019040102

Stressful Gaming, Interoceptive Awareness, and Emotion Regulation Tendencies: A Novel Approach | Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2022, from https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/cyber.2013.0296

Swettenham, L., & Whitehead, A. E. (2022). WORKING IN ESPORTS: DEVELOPING TEAM COHESION. Case Studies in Sport and Exercise Psychology, 6(1), 36–44. https://doi.org/10.1123/cssep.2021-0023

Takatalo, J., Häkkinen, J., Kaistinen, J., & Nyman, G. (2010). Presence, Involvement, and Flow in Digital Games. In Evaluating User Experience in Games: Concepts and Methods (pp. 23–46). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-963-3_3

Tartar, J. L., Kalman, D., & Hewlings, S. (2019). A Prospective Study Evaluating the Effects of a Nutritional Supplement Intervention on Cognition, Mood States, and Mental Performance in Video Gamers. Nutrients, 11(10), 2326. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11102326

Teigen, K. (1994). Yerkes-Dodson: A Law for all Seasons. Theory & Psychology - THEOR PSYCHOL, 4, 525–547. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959354394044004

Thomas, C. J., Rothschild, J., Earnest, C. P., & Blaisdell, A. (2019). The Effects of Energy Drink Consumption on Cognitive and Physical Performance in Elite League of Legends Players. Sports, 7(9), 196. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports7090196

Tregel, T., Sarpe-Tudoran, T., Müller, P., & Göbel, S. (2021). Analyzing Game-Based Training Methods for Selected Esports Titles in Competitive Gaming (pp. 213–228). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-88272-3_16

Vitale, K. C., Owens, R., Hopkins, S. R., & Malhotra, A. (2019). Sleep Hygiene for Optimizing Recovery in Athletes: Review and Recommendations. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 40(8), 535–543. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-0905-3103

Williams, S. E., Cumming, J., & Balanos, G. M. (2010). The use of imagery to manipulate challenge and threat appraisal States in athletes. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 32(3), 339–358. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.32.3.339

Woodman, T., & Hardy, L. (2003). The relative impact of cognitive anxiety and self-confidence upon sport performance: a meta-analysis. Journal of Sports Sciences, 21(6), 443–457. https://doi.org/10.1080/0264041031000101809

Yerkes, R. M., & Dodson, J. D. (1908). The Relation of Strength of Stimulus to Rapidity of Habit Formation. Journal of Comparative Neurology & Psychology, 18, 459–482. https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.920180503

Zhuang, W., Yin, K., Zi, Y., & Liu, Y. (2020). Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation: Augmenting the Training and Performance Potential in Esports Players. Brain Sciences, 10(7), E454. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10070454

Additional Files

Posted

2023-04-04

Versions