Are Esports Players Inactive? A Systematic Review

Abstract

As esports grow, public authorities have many concerns about the potential negative health effects of this “sedentary” practice. This work proposes a systematic review on the links between esports and physical activity (PA). The research questions guiding this review are as follows: (1) What is the PA level of esports players? (2) Do data exist regarding the influence of participation in esports on players’ PA? (3) Based on these findings, what future research questions should be asked and what studies should be conducted? Eighteen studies met the inclusion criteria. The analysis revealed that esports players appeared to be active, exceeding World Health Organization recommendations, in 13 studies and inactive or low-active in four studies. The different populations of players do not appear to have the same degree of PA. High-level, professional, and/or supervised players appear to be more physically active. However, some data are inconsistent, and our review highlights several biases and methodological limitations. Additionally, while we have found no studies providing data on the influence of esports on PA, five studies highlight several factors that could push players to engage in PA. Finally, further research is needed using objective measurement tools and characterizing and accurately distinguishing between players’ levels of expertise and the type of game played. The nature and modalities of the PA also need to be clarified. We encourage supplementing these quantitative data with qualitative data obtained through interviews to provide a description and understanding of the influence of esports on PA engagement, re-engagement, retention, and withdrawal.

Keywords

• physical activity
• inactivity
• electronic sports
• video games
• influence