Growing up you all might have heard the term “Health is Wealth” but its essence is still not realized by many! We tend to believe that good health is the indication of an illness-free body but unfortunately, it is not entirely what we think. In order to lead a healthy life, a person must be fit and fine both physically and mentally.
Fitness is essential in every field of life and so is for Esports athlete especially in a competition where only a difference of a few seconds could shift the momentum to the other side. Professional Gamers have evolved with time and have realized the importance of fitness. Majority of them spend a minimum of 5 hours in a gym trying to strengthen themselves both physically as well as mentally.
Importance of Fitness in the life of an Esports athlete
Fitness helps an esports athlete in different ways like:
- Enables quick response during a neck to neck fight
- Helps to manage the adrenaline rush created during a stress situation
- It leads to career longevity
- Prevents common injury among athletes for instance tendonosis.
Here are some of the exercises recommended for an Esports athlete. Do follow it if you are one of them
Diet is the main ingredient of an athlete’s fitness. Incorporating fruits, green vegetable, and whole fibers in the diet help improving agility and enhance alertness. Dietary supplements should be avoided as much as possible. It should not replace the normal diet.
However, having these supplements during a competition is not hazardous for health. In the field of Esports main emphasis should be laid down on mental health. A player when he reaches the mid-20s starts losing agility and flexibility of mind hence in order to prolong his career mental health should be taken care of.
A study of Professor Ingo Forbose of the University of Cologne found that, even though they appear to be sitting still, esport players are putting out a lot of effort. According to him, “ The amount of cortisol produced is about the same level as that of a race car driver. This is combined with a high pulse, sometimes as high as 160 to 180 beats per minute, which is equivalent to what happened during a very fast run, almost a marathon”.
Common health issues faced by an Esports Athlete
- Blurred vision from excessive screen time, neck and back pain from poor posture.
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome from repetitive motion
- Metabolic Dysregulation from prolonged sitting and high consumption of caffeine and sugar
- Repetitive Strain Injury also called “mouse arm” that is caused by excessive use of the computer mouse
- Depression and Anxiety resulting from internet gaming disorder
According to research by Dr. Zwibel around 56% of esports athletes experience eye fatigue,42% report neck, and back pain,32% hand pain.
What is the Solution?
Regular physical training should be strictly followed as it keeps the body fit and mind alert. Need-based medications should be provided to the players. There should be a thorough assessment of the player’s fitness through various tests. A regulatory body should be responsible to judge the health of the athlete. Physiotherapy is an important solution and it should be provided when required. A medical team should be at their disposal special while playing or competing in a tournament. The team should consist of professional doctors and paramedics.
Being fit is the need of the hour and is also important for the overall development of a player hence the main emphasis should be laid on health.
As it is rightly said: “ He who has health has hope and he who has hope has health”.
