This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of injuries and the sleep habits of esports players in Japan. We also aimed to explore the causes of injury incidence.
This study included 7 male professional esports players in Japan, with a mean age of 30.1 ± 4.4 years. Online semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data on the esports experience of players, daily time of competition and practice, their posture during esports playing, and the history and locations of esports-related injuries. Sleep habits, including sleep duration, wake-up times, bedtimes, and the time between the end of competition or practice and bedtime, were also recorded. The interviews were transcribed verbatim, and a co-occurrence network diagram was created using KH Coder 3 text mining software to analyze patterns in injury reports.
The participants had an average of 7.6 ± 3.5 years of esports experience, dedicating 7.1 ± 3.2 hours daily to esports-related activities. All players noted prolonged periods of sitting during gameplay. Five participants (71.4%) reported injuries, with the wrists, fingers, neck, and lower back. The sleep duration was 6.7 ± 1.3 hours, with an average wake-up time of 9:45 AM and an average bedtime of 3:00 AM. Players went to bed about 12.0 ± 0.4 minutes after finishing their competition or practice sessions. In the co-occurrence network diagram, words such as “lower back,” “shoulder,” “posture,” and “poor” were frequently highlighted.
In this study, interviews were conducted with 7 esports players, and valuable data was obtained. Participants consistently reported spending prolonged periods in a seated position and engaging in esports play until shortly before sleep. Extended poor posture, especially while seated, appears to contribute to musculoskeletal pain, with a notable impact on the lower back and shoulders. Esports players may execute up to 400 controller actions per minute. This, combined with sustained poor posture, likely induces repetitive strain in areas such as the lower back, shoulders, wrists, and fingers, potentially leading to injury. Additionally, delayed sleep patterns and the use of electronic devices immediately before sleep may negatively affect sleep quality and heighten the risk of chronic pain, suggesting that inadequate sleep hygiene could further exacerbate the danger of injury.
This study suggests that injury occurrence among esports players in Japan may be linked to poor sitting posture, frequent controller use, and inappropriate sleep habits. Addressing these factors could be essential in preventing injuries and improving the health of esports players.
Injury
Sleep
