Can physical activity affect your performance in video games?
Written for professional Esport players and those who aspire to become one.
I have mentioned before how specific food can “boost” the brain. Physical activity have the same effect, maybe even better. Studies show that the brain is the organ that get the biggest positive affect by staying active, no matter how old you are!
And the benefits are plenty. Not only do you feel better by being active, it also helps you process information faster. You will improve your memory, sleep, focus and ability to handle stress and might even reduce anxiety.
So how does this help professional players?
Stress & anxiety
When you are stressed or anxious your body releases cortisol, also called the “stress hormone”, your pulse increases and your heart rate goes up. Having high cortisol levels during a longer period of time there is a risk of the brain taking damage and decrease the brain cells ability to communicate with each other.
Now for example, if you go for a run your cortisol levels will increase since exercise is a form of “stress” for the body. Your pulse and heart rate will also go up. But after the run the cortisol levels will decrease to lower than it was before the run and your body will be rewarded with endorphins, the “happy” hormone. And If you continue to exercise regularly the levels will decrease even when you are stressed for other reasons and you will improve the brain cells ability to communicate. Exercise teaches the brain that increased heart rate doesn’t have to be anxiety or stress, instead something positive. So if your body is in better shape you will respond better to outside stress which can also lead to reduced anxiety.
I do think that being in the spotlight as a pro player, having many obligations, practice, traveling and social media, stress and anxiety will be present in some form and might affect performance. For some players it can be regular and difficult to deal with and for others it happens very rarely or never.
Physical activity is one of the better ways to control that stress and keep a good mental health. But there is also massage, meditation, long walks and breathing exercises that can help.
Focus
Our focus is affected by our surroundings, sleep, stress and time of the day, same for impulsivity and hyperactivity, and it may vary over longer periods. I think everyone has experienced that focus decreases after doing the same thing for a longer time or might have difficulty filter away background noises and suddenly your attention is shifted to something else. Without us being aware of it our brain is constantly processing enormous amount of impressions to then shift our focus on what’s important. To keep focusing on what we are supposed to do we need dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that regulates the brain’s reward system. Lack of it is what can make us unfocused.
For example, this is how ADHD medicines works. They increase the dopamine levels, blocks the background noises that comes from the brain and the outside surroundings and make it more clear in order to help you stay focused.
But there is a way to increase the dopamine levels without medication.
With exercise!
Dopamine levels increase after you have been physical active and can stay that way up to a few hours after a workout. And the best part is, the longer and more intense the workout is and the more often you workout, more dopamine will be released. You will feel better after each workout and improve your concentration.
Players have to spend many hours sitting down. And a sedentary lifestyle increase the risk of various diseases, like high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity, but it also affects the brain. Not only does it make you unfocused and affect your mental health, it also make you think slower.
And great qualities as a pro player or streamer is that you can focus for a long time, stay alert, think and process information fast. So after many hours of sitting down in front of the PC, focus might fail, or maybe you even struggle in the beginning. So to optimize your focus I recommend doing some form of physical activity for at least 30 minutes before practice, a game or stream. Because as I mentioned earlier, your dopamine levels will increase and stay that way for a few hours after the workout.
Memory
The brain shrinks during your whole life. New brain cells are constantly created but more dies in a faster pace. Hippocampus is the brain’s memory center. It’s also associated with emotions and learning. Hippocampus also shrinks as you get older. This is why it’s common with age related memory loss and diseases. But like with muscles, you have to use it or lose it. Many think that if you want to improve your memory you have to do memory related exercises, games, apps, sudoku or crossword puzzle. But studies show that you only get better at that specific exercise or game, and it’s not an efficient way to improve your memory.
But physical activity is.
BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) is a protein that improve and preserves brain function and protect the brain cells. It’s like fertilizer for the brain. Physical activity is the most effective way to make the brain create BDNF. And just like dopamine, the longer and more often you exercise the more BDNF will be released. But the difference with BDNF levels is that they can stay increases for up to two weeks, so you don’t have to be physical active every day to get the effect.
So by exercising a few times a week you might even be able to protect the brain from aging as rapidly and improve your memory and optimize your learning ability.
To get the optimal effect you should exercise before the learning process (scrims/practice for example). Exercise or a long walk affect the memory immediately. So why not even bring the vods from previous games or scrims with you to the gym and get on a bike or treadmill!
So to answer my own question. Can physical activity affect your performance in video games?
YES! But if you want to be good at a specific thing, you have to practice that specific thing, which means more playtime. Physical activity might not directly improve your mechanical skills, but it will help you focus when your practice it. You will stay more alert and motivated to continue.
But there is always risk for burnout and I’ve heard about many players that suffered from it. Exercise is a great break from everything. New environment. It will help you with stress and anxiety, improve your mental health and self esteem. And in combination with nutritious food it will do wonders for you. Now there are many different ways to be physical active. Weightlifting, cardio, yoga, pilates, power walk, boxing or swimming. But the most important thing is that you find something that you enjoy doing!
So please take care of your body and mind, you only get one!
Web sources:
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-hippocampus-2795231
https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/a-comprehensive-list-of-natural-ways-to-increase-bdnf/
Book source:
Hjärnstark — Anders Hansen
