A Comparison of Self-reported Level of Physical Activity of Collegiate Esports Players with that of Non-esports Undergraduate Students

ABSTRACT

Aims

The electronic sports (esports) industry has gained tremendous popularity throughout the past several decades. With this growth, competitive esports leagues have emerged at the collegiate level. However, few studies have been conducted that examine physical activity (PA) levels in the collegiate esports population. This study compares the levels of PA and total time sitting of collegiate esports players and non-esports undergraduate students.

Methods and results

Twelve collegiate esports players and 39 non-esports undergraduate students from the same higher education institution participated in the study. Each group completed a survey consisting of basic demographics, esports participation, and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Results revealed that collegiate esports players reported participation in similar levels of PA as non-esports undergraduate students. However, esports players spent significantly more time sitting than other undergraduates.

Conclusion

The present study concluded that collegiate esports players do not differ from non-playing peers in their self-reported levels of PA but do report significantly more time spent in sitting. It is possible that participation in collegiate level esports competitions might have influenced these behaviors. We encourage further investigation.