Leveling Up Esports Health: Current Status and Call to Action

Esports is growing at an exponential rate. While there are benefits to playing esports, little is known about the long-term health implications. This article reviews the current state of esports health-related research, focusing on physical health (i.e., physical activity, musculoskeletal injuries, eye health), sleep, nutrition, performance-enhancing drugs, and mental health (i.e., gaming disorder, emotional regulation). It identifies areas of interest with a call to action for all stakeholders within the esports ecosystem, providing a short list of recommendations to consider based on the current literature. Future research should utilize both quantitative and qualitative methods, with a particular emphasis on longitudinal and large-scale studies using validated tools to fully explore the association between esports and health.