Are eSports more than just sitting? A study comparing energy expenditure

Aim: To investigate the energy expenditure of amateur eSport athletes between sitting and an eSport gaming session. Materials & methods: Eleven amateur male eSport athletes (age: 21.73 ± 3.50 years, weight: 76.00 ± 12.51 kg, height: 1.81 ± 0.06 m) were included. After recording the resting values, eSports playing values were recorded using an open circulation oxygen consumption analyzer (QuarkCPET, COSMED, Albano Laziale, Italy). Also, action per min (APM) scores were recorded. Results: When comparing the respiratory frequency, metabolic equivalent of task values and energy expenditure values of the participants, a significant increase was observed in all three values (p < 0.05 for each). Conclusion: eSports players, who are considered to be physically inactive by sitting, spend approximately 40% more energy than sitting, even at the amateur level. According to APM, more energy can be spent in tournaments and at the elite level.