Key result
Competitive esports increases mean heart rate by ~7 bpm compared to passive viewing.
Why the study?
Evidence regarding acute cardiovascular, autonomic, and endocrine responses to competitive esports remains inconsistent and methodologically heterogeneous.
Does a one-hour competitive esports session elicit acute cardiovascular, autonomic, and endocrine stress responses compared to passive documentary viewing in healthy male gamers?
RCT (n=16)
Open-label
Randomized allocation sequence using an online randomization tool
No
Does a one-hour competitive esports session elicit acute cardiovascular, autonomic, and endocrine stress responses compared to passive documentary viewing in healthy male gamers?
Mean Difference: 7.31 (95% CI 1.55–13.06)
p-value: p=0.016
In healthy young males, a one-hour competitive esports session did not elicit acute condition-specific temporal increases in hemodynamic or endocrine stress parameters compared to a passive sedentary control condition.
Acute esports raises HR and blunts HRV recovery without altering BP or cortisol versus control; extends limited RCT data on gaming autonomic responses.
Background Competitive esports involve prolonged sedentary behavior combined with high cognitive and emotional demands, potentially influencing acute physiological responses. However, evidence regarding acute cardiovascular, autonomic, and endocrine responses to competitive gaming remains inconsistent and methodologically heterogeneous. Methods In this randomized controlled crossover study, sixteen healthy male EA Sports FC players completed a one-hour competitive gaming session and a control condition (documentary viewing). Heart rate (HR), root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD) and standard deviation of NN-intervals (SDNN) for heart rate variability (HRV) were recorded continuously. Peripheral and central blood pressure, pulse wave velocity (PWV) and salivary cortisol were assessed at baseline, post-session, and after 15 min of rest. Linear mixed-effects models examined the effects of condition, time, and their interaction while accounting for period and sequence effects. Results RMSSD ( p = 0.005, ηₚ² = 0.13) and SDNN ( p = 0.040, ηₚ² = 0.08) showed a significant Condition x Time interaction, with an increase in the control condition, whereas no significant temporal changes were observed during gaming. No significant Condition x Time interactions were observed for HR, PWV, peripheral and central blood pressure. Salivary cortisol decreased over time in both conditions ( p < 0.001, ηₚ² = 0.33) without condition-specific effects ( p = 0.765). Conclusion In this laboratory setting, no significant condition specific temporal changes in acute hemodynamic or cortisol responses were detected during competitive gaming compared with passive documentary viewing. The observed differences in cardiac autonomic regulation were primarily driven by an increase in HRV during the control condition, whereas no significant temporal changes in HRV were observed during gaming. Trial registration The study was preregistered in the German Clinical Trials Registry on 05 June 2024 (ID: DRKS00034399).
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Soffner et al. (2026) conducted an RCT in Healthy individuals (Esports players) (n=16). One-hour competitive esports session vs. Passive documentary viewing was evaluated on Mean heart rate during session (MD 7.31 bpm, 95% CI 1.55-13.06, p=0.016). A one-hour competitive esports session resulted in a significantly higher mean heart rate (MD 7.31 bpm) and prevented the significant increase in heart rate variability (RMSSD and SDNN) observed during a passive control condition, although no condition-specific temporal changes in blood pressure or cortisol were detected.
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