Leveling Up Esports Health: Current Status and Call to Action

The report examines the health of esports players and argues that the field is still in its infancy, with health research, monitoring, and policy lagging far behind the competitive scene's growth. Its central thesis is that esports athletes face real physical, visual, sleep, nutritional, and mental health risks, and that the sector needs empirical, transparent, and longitudinal research along with tailored health programs to protect both wellbeing and performance.

The evidence base points to a largely sedentary lifestyle, with players often sitting for more than ten hours daily and showing elevated heart rates during competition. Musculoskeletal complaints in the neck, back, wrist, and hand are widespread, and eye fatigue is common, reported by 56 percent of players in one collegiate sample, consistent with broader findings that digital eye strain affects up to half of computer users. Inconsistent sleep is identified as a significant impairment to cognitive performance, while nutrition, supplementation, and performance-enhancing drug use remain sparsely studied. The authors also flag growing concern about gaming disorder, which the World Health Organization has recognized.

The report describes both progress and gaps in support structures. Some initiatives, such as a confidential mental health program run by the Counter-Strike Professional Players' Association and Event Minimum Standards requiring tournament organizers to provide healthy meals and medical or physiotherapy staff, represent meaningful steps. Yet players are frequently forced to retire because of chronic conditions such as diabetes, joint pain, or wrist injury rather than cognitive decline, underscoring the need for esports-specific health programs, structured breaks, and multidisciplinary staffing including physiotherapists, psychologists, and nutritionists. The authors conclude that peer-reviewed, industry-partnered research is essential to advance the field.