AI Insight
Esports, or competitive video gaming, exposes participants at both professional and amateur levels to significant physical and cognitive demands due to extended screen time and repetitive movements. According to Dr. Jane Konidis, a physiatrist and director of Gaming and Esports Medicine at Mayo Clinic, players are susceptible to a range of musculoskeletal and health-related injuries. Preventive strategies and medical guidance are increasingly being developed to address these health risks across different gaming platforms, including consoles, computers, and smartphones.
Why it matters
As esports participation continues to grow globally, understanding and addressing the associated health risks has direct implications for player longevity, performance, and overall wellbeing. Sports medicine practitioners are beginning to treat esports-related injuries with the same seriousness as traditional athletic injuries, signaling a shift in how competitive gaming is perceived from a health perspective.
Competing in esports, also known as electronic sports, can mean training for several hours a day in front of a screen. Whether people participate in video game competitions at the professional or amateur level, they face physical and cognitive demands. Jane Konidis, M.D., a physiatrist and director of Gaming and Esports Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, shares tips to protect your health, whether you’re using a video game console, computer, or smartphone for esports activities.
Source: Health on the esports circuit: Competitive video game players can face a range of injuries