Evaluation of night eating syndrome and food addiction in esports players.

PURPOSE: Esports players' training takes long periods and they sit for a long time during competitions, which increases their risk of obesity and urges them to develop inappropriate eating behaviors. In this study, we aimed to investigate the night-eating syndrome and food addiction in esports players. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 248 esports players who were members of a university's esports community. The study data were collected using an online questionnaire consisting of the descriptive information form, Night Eating Questionnaire, and Yale Food Addiction Scale. RESULTS: The mean age of the sports players participating in the study was 22.19 ± 5.97 years. Of them, 55.6% had a normal body weight, 13.4% were obese, 54.4% played esports for 3 years or more, 13.3% experienced night eating syndrome, and 21.4% experienced food addiction. While the weekly duration of playing esports and skipping meals were associated with night eating syndrome, the weekly duration of playing esports and smoking were associated with food addiction (p < 0.05). Additionally, although there was no statistically significant difference, the risk of food addiction was 2.12 times higher in those with poor perceived sleep quality. CONCLUSION: We observed that night eating syndrome was very common in esports players and that these individuals were at risk in terms of food addiction. Since esports has a more sedentary structure than traditional sports, we suggest that esports players should be evaluated in terms of their unhealthy eating behaviors and risk of eating disorders.

Incidencia de la cultura organizacional, en el rendimiento deportivo de los equipos de eSport

Los eSports o deportes electrónicos han ganado relevancia mundial, pero en Latinoamérica hay una brecha de desarrollo respecto a otras regiones. El objetivo de esta investigación consistió en analizar la influencia de la cultura organizacional, en el rendimiento de los equipos de eSports de Valorant que participaron en el torneo denominado 88 CUP. El torneo se desarrolló del 19 de febrero al 30 de abril de 2023, con la participación de 35 equipos pertenecientes a Ecuador, Colombia, México, Guatemala, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Honduras, Panamá, Perú y República Dominicana. Se empleó el instrumento de Cameron y Quinn, adaptado por Ibarra (2019) para evaluar la cultura organizacional, y para el rendimiento deportivo se recopilaron datos de la puntuación media de combate en el torneo 88 CUP; través de esta puntuación, se calculó el índice de rendimiento deportivo en una escala de 0 a 100. El estudio de datos se realizó con el análisis de componentes principales no lineales y ecuaciones estructurales. Los resultados mostraron un promedio de rendimiento deportivo de 25 sobre 100 puntos y apenas el 10 % de los equipos alcanzaron un rendimiento superior a 70. Además, la cultura adhocrática y clan prevalecen en los equipos estudiados. Se estableció un modelo de relación causal de la cultura organizacional en el rendimiento deportivo, donde las dimensiones adhocráticas, jerárquica y de mercado tuvieron un impacto significativo y positivo; en tanto, la dimensión clan tuvo una influencia significativa y negativa en el rendimiento deportivo.

Os eSports ou esportes eletrônicos ganharam relevância global, mas na América Latina existe uma lacuna de desenvolvimento em comparação com outras regiões. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi analisar a influência da cultura organizacional no desempenho das equipes de Valorant eSports que participaram do torneio denominado 88 CUP. O torneio aconteceu de 19 de fevereiro a 30 de abril de 2023, com a participação de 35 seleções do Equador, Colômbia, México, Guatemala, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Honduras, Panamá, Peru e República Dominicana. Para avaliar a cultura organizacional foi utilizado o instrumento Cameron e Quinn, adaptado por Ibarra (2019), e para o desempenho esportivo foram coletados dados sobre a pontuação média de combate no torneio 88 CUP; por meio dessa pontuação, foi calculado o índice de desempenho esportivo em uma escala de 0 a 100. O estudo dos dados foi realizado com análise de componentes principais não lineares e equações estruturais. Os resultados mostraram um desempenho esportivo médio de 25 em 100 pontos e apenas 10% das equipes obtiveram desempenho superior a 70. Além disso, a cultura adocrática e de clã prevalece nas equipes estudadas. Foi estabelecido um modelo de relação causal da cultura organizacional sobre o desempenho desportivo, onde as dimensões adocrática, hierárquica e mercadológica tiveram um impacto significativo e positivo; entretanto, a dimensão do clã teve uma influência significativa e negativa no desempenho desportivo.

eSports or electronic sports have gained global relevance, but in Latin America there is a development gap compared to other regions. The objective of this research was to analyze the influence of organizational culture on the performance of Valorant eSports teams that participated in the tournament called 88 CUP. The tournament took place from February 19 to April 30, 2023, with the participation of 35 teams from Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Peru and the Dominican Republic. The Cameron and Quinn instrument, adapted by Ibarra (2019), was used to evaluate organizational culture, and for sports performance, data was collected on the average combat score in the 88 CUP tournament; through this score, the sports performance index was calculated on a scale from 0 to 100. The data study was carried out with the analysis of non-linear principal components and structural equations. The results showed an average sports performance of 25 out of 100 points and only 10% of the teams achieved a performance greater than 70. In addition, the adhocratic and clan culture prevail in the teams studied. A causal relationship model of organizational culture on sports performance was established, where the adhocratic, hierarchical and market dimensions had a significant and positive impact; meanwhile, the clan dimension had a significant and negative influence on sports performance.

Escaping through virtual gaming-what is the association with emotional, social, and mental health? A systematic review.

Background: The realm of virtual games, video games, and e-sports has witnessed remarkable and substantial growth, captivating a diverse and global audience. However, some studies indicate that this surge is often linked to a desire to escape from real life, a phenomenon known as escapism. Much like substance abuse, escapism has been identified as a significant motivator, leading to adverse outcomes, including addiction. Therefore, it is crucial to comprehend the existing research on the connection between escapism and engagement in virtual gaming. This understanding can shed light on the reasons behind such practices and their potential impact on mental and public health. Purpose: The objective of this systematic review is investigate the findings pertaining to association between escapism and the practice of virtual games, such as video-games and e-sport. Methods: PUBMED and SCOPUS database were systematically searched. Six independent researchers screened articles for relevance. We extracted data regarding escapism-related measures, emotional/mental health-related measures and demographic information relevant to the review purpose. Results: The search yielded 357 articles, 36 were included. Results showed that: (i) Escapist motivation (EM) is one of the main motives for playing virtual games; (ii) EM is related to negative clinical traits; (iii) EM predicts negative psychological/emotional/mental health outcomes; (iv) EM is associated with impaired/negative perception of the real-world life; (v) EM predicts non-adaptive real social life; and (vi) EM is associated with dysfunctional gaming practices in some cases. However, EM can have beneficial effects, fostering confidence, determination, a sense of belonging in virtual communities, and representation through avatars. Furthermore, the reviewed findings suggest that EM was positively linked to mitigating loneliness in anxious individuals and promoting social activities that preserved mental health among typical individuals during the pandemic. Conclusion: Our review reinforces the evidence linking EM in the context of virtual games to poor mental health and non-adaptive social behavior. The ensuing discussion explores the intricate connection between escapism and mental health, alongside examining the broad implications of virtual gaming practices on underlying motivations for escapism in the realms of social cognition, health promotion, and public health.

Self-regulation, stress appraisal, and esport action performance.

Electronic sport has seen substantial growth in market value and popularity in the last 10 years. With this growth has come the pursuit of elite esports performance, especially from a psychological perspective. This study aimed to investigate potential variations in self-regulation levels among athletes of different levels (national vs. student), compare the self-regulation profiles of CS:GO players in the current study to an international sample of e'athletes and to assess the predictive capacity of self-regulation on performance outcomes. A total of 53 esports athletes (student competitors, n = 27 and national-level CS:GO competitors, n = 26), participated in an experiment exploring self-regulation, DRES, and action performance. Furthermore, analysis comparing our collective findings against a larger global sample of e'athletes (n = 993) was conducted. Results demonstrated that CS:GO players who displayed higher levels of self-regulation tended to perceive stressful situations as challenges, consequently showcasing superior accuracy and time trial performance. In contrast, individuals with lower self-regulation tended to perceive such situations as threats, which correlated with less favorable performance outcomes. On a broader scale, the study observed that CS:GO competitors generally exhibited lower levels of self-regulation when compared to the larger global sample. Furthermore, self-regulation was identified as a mediating variable in the relationship between stress appraisal and performance, suggesting that improved self-regulation skills can lead to enhanced accuracy and quicker time trial performance. This may imply that competitors with greater self-regulatory abilities perceive themselves as having more personal resources, enabling them to effectively assess challenging situations and employ problem-focused coping strategies. Overall, this research underscores the significance of self-regulation in optimizing esports performance, while providing valuable insights for player development, action performance, and overall outcomes in the field.

The relative risks of different forms of sports betting in a U.S. sample: A brief report.

BACKGROUND: The 21st century has brought substantial changes to the manners in which people gamble and the types of things on which people gamble. These changes are particularly stark in the United States, where, over the past five years, sports betting has gone from being legal in only one location to being legal throughout the majority of the country, often via mobile applications and online betting websites. METHOD: In March of 2022, a sample of the U.S. population (n = 2806, Mage[SD] = 48.9[17.2]; 1365[48.6%] men; response rate = 87.6%) and an oversample of sports-wagering adults in the U.S. (n = 1557, Mage[SD] = 41.7[15.3]; 1043[67%] men; response rate = 78.7%) were recruited via YouGov. Participants completed measures of gambling activities, including various forms of sports betting, as well as measures of problem gambling activities. RESULTS: In general, people who gamble on sports, when compared to people who do not bet on sports, reported greater frequency of gambling engagement (averaging between monthly and weekly play),a wider variety of gambling activities (with the majority reporting past year engagement in four or more gambling activities), and higher rates of problem gambling. Multinomial logistics regression revealed no distinct associations between any specific form of sports gambling and higher risk, instead demonstrating that breadth and depth of gambling engagement were the best predictors of high-risk gambling behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: In general, sports gambling is broadly associated with greater engagement in both breadth of gambling activities and frequency of gambling play. Additionally, people who gamble on sports seem to be at higher risk of problem gambling than people who do not bet on sports. However, in analyses controlling for breadth and depth of gambling activities, these links are attenuated, suggesting that the risks associated with sports gambling behaviors are related to the greater degree of gambling engagement.

The Next Best Thing: How Media Dependency and Uses and Gratifications Inform Esport Fandom During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

COVID-19 ushered new forms of media engagement when traditional sporting events and league play were suspended. Subsequently, certain sections of the audience moved online to fill their needs typically satisfied via traditional sport consumption. Esport is one such form of digital entertainment that significantly altered the ways in which sport fans can immerse themselves in related content. To examine how those audience obtained gratifications, we surveyed traditional sport fans who have either increased or initiated esports media consumption during the pandemic, doing so through the lens of media dependency theory. Results from 155 sports fans demonstrate three key findings. First, gratifications for traditional sports were significantly higher than those of esports. Secondly, ascending esports consumers maintained significantly more intense gratifications than did new users. Finally, media dependency was a significant, positive predictor of all 12 of the traditional sports motivations and 9 of the 12 esport motivations.

Safer esports for players, spectators, and bettors: Issues, challenges, and policy recommendations.

The present paper provides an overview of the possible risks, harms, and challenges that might arise with the development of the esports field and pose a threat to professional esports players, spectators, bettors and videogame players, including underage players. These include physical and mental health issues, gambling and gambling-like elements associated with videogames and esports, the challenges arising from pursuing a career in esports, the unique difficulties women face, and a need for supporting professional esports players. It briefly discusses possible responses and suggestions regarding how to address and mitigate these negative consequences. It emphasizes the need for cooperation and collaboration between various stakeholders: researchers, policymakers, regulators, the gaming industry, esports organizations, healthcare and treatment providers, educational institutes and the need for further evidence-based information.

The Use of Compression Stockings to Reduce Water Retention in the Legs During Gaming and Esports: Randomized Controlled Field Study.

BACKGROUND: With the increasing digitalization of daily life, internet-based entertainment such as gaming and streaming has advanced to one of the megatrends of the 21st century. Besides offering a multitude of controversially discussed opportunities for entertainment and social interaction, there is reasonable concern about health issues caused by the absence of physical activity among activities linked to gaming and streaming. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to compare the water balance of recreational gamers with and those without compression stockings during a gaming event. METHODS: We measured body composition and water balance with 8-electrode bioelectrical impedance analysis among 46 recreational gamers with an average age of 27.1 (SD 6.5) years (5/46, 11% women and 41/46, 89% men) before and after 24 hours at a gaming event. Of the 46 gamers, 23 (50%) gamers wore compression stockings for the duration of the study. RESULTS: Our study shows that prolonged gaming and associated behaviors during a 24-hour time frame lead to an increase in total body water (+0.76 L; P<.001) and a decrease of phase angle in the lower extremities (-0.47°; P<.001) but not in the upper extremities (+0.09°; P=.80), when no compression is used. Gamers using compression socks did not show any significant negative effects on their body composition. CONCLUSIONS: Prolonged gaming and streaming are serious risk factors for diseases associated with water retention in the legs, and these risks can be measured by bioelectrical impedance and reduced by wearing compression stockings. We conclude that these findings should be discussed and replicated in larger studies and that there is a considerably large market for compression stockings among gamers and live streamers.

Puede el sustrato ético del “bioprogresismo” justificar un cambio en la Política Criminal en materia de dopaje deportivo? / Pot el substrat ètic del “bioprogresisme”justificar un canvi en la política criminal en matèria de dopatge esportiu? / Can the ethical substratum of “bioprogressivism”justify a change the course of Criminal Policy on sports doping?

A lo largo de las últimas décadas, numerosos autores y autoras han reflexionado sobre la mejora humana, tanto desde la perspectiva de la Ética, de la Filosofía Política, como también desde el prisma del Bioderecho. Como es lógico, esta reflexión aterrizó, de forma natural, en los debates en torno a la mejora deportiva (dopaje). En la actualidad la doctrina se divide en dos grandes bloques: Se encuentra, por un lado, el sector “bioconservador” desde el cual se rechaza la posibilidad de conceder legitimidad (ética y jurídica) a la mejora humana (y, particularmente, a la mejora humana en el ámbito deportivo). Por otro lado, encontramos al sector “bioprogresista” en el cual encontramos a numerosas voces que, bajo determinadas circunstancias, se inclinan a considerar la posibilidad de admitir algunas técnicas de mejora. Hasta aquí, no encontramos nada nuevo bajo el sol. Sin embargo, en el presente trabajo se analiza, de forma particular, si los argumentos a favor de la liberalización del uso de técnicas de mejora humana en el deporte (argumentos “bioprogresistas”) pueden justificar y dar legitimidad a un cambio de rumbo en la Política Criminal adoptada en materia de dopaje deportivo (tales conductas se castigan como delito en el art. 362 quinquies CP). Se llega a la conclusión de que únicamente sería posible admitir la descriminalización del delito de dopaje si, a la hora de discutir en torno a la disponibilidad de los bienes jurídicos penalmente tutelados, concedemos mayor peso valorativo a determinados fundamentos liberales (particularmente a los milleanos).(AU)

In recent years, many authors have reflected on human enhancement from the perspective of Ethics, Political Philosophy and also, of course, from the prism of Biolaw. Naturally, this reflection has landed in the debates around sports enhancement (doping). Thus, literature is currently divided into two main sectors: on one hand, there are those who reject the possibility of granting ethical and legal legitimacy to human enhancement and, particularly, to human enhancement in the field of sport (“bioconservatives”) while, on the other hand, there are those who are in favor of considering the possibility of admitting it under certain circumstances (“bioprogressives”). Up to this point, there is nothing new under the sun. However, this paper analyzes, in particular, whether the arguments in favor of liberalizing the use of human enhancement techniques in sport (doping) can justify and give legitimacy to a change of course in the Criminal Policy adopted in the field of sports doping (such conduct is punishable as a crime in art. 362 quinquies of Spanish Criminal Code). We reach to the conclusion that it would only be possible to admit the decriminalization of the crime of doping if, when discussing on availability of the legal interest protected under Criminal Law, we give greater weight to certain liberal foundations (particularly those of the Milleans).(AU)

Al llarg de les últimes dècades, nombrosos autors i autores han reflexionat sobre la millora humana, tant des de la perspectiva de l'éticaila filosofia política, comtambé des del prisma del Biodret. Com és lògic, aquesta reflexió ha aterrat, de manera natural, en els debats entorn de la millora esportiva (dopatge). En l'actualitat la doctrina es divideix en dos grans blocs: Es troba, d'una banda, el sector “bioconservador”, el qual rebutja la possibilitat de concedir legitimitat (ètica i jurídica) a la millora humana (i, particularment, a la millora humana en l'àmbit esportiu). D'altra banda, trobem el sector “bioprogresista” on hi hanombroses veus que, sotadeterminades circumstàncies,s'inclinen a considerar la possibilitat d'admetre algunes tècniques de millora. Fins aquí, no trobem res nou sota el sol. No obstant això, en el present treball s'analitza, de manera particular, si els arguments a favor de la liberalització de l'ús de tècniques de millora humana en l'esport (arguments “bioprogresistas”) poden justificar i donar legitimitat a un canvi de rumb en la política criminal adoptada en matèria de dopatge esportiu (tals conductes es castiguen com a delicte en l'art. 362 quinquies CP). S'arriba a la conclusió que únicament seria possible admetre la descriminalització del delicte de dopatge si, a l'hora de discutir sobrela disponibilitat dels béns jurídics penalment tutelats, concedim major pes valoratiu a determinats fonaments liberals (particularment als milleans).(AU)

Mental Health and Social Connectedness During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Analysis of Sports and E-Sports Players.

Recently, the pandemic context in which the world finds itself has inspired studies that sought to evaluate to mental health and the way people are relating to the purpose of understanding and promoting improvements psychological health. The epidemiological and public health literature shows that social connection protects and promotes mental health, being an important clinical tool for reducing anxiety, depression, and stress. Thinking in the broad sense of connection, that is, feeling and perceiving oneself connected with the environment, applied to the context of sport, it is suggested that social connection could be related to the interactions in the practice of sport. Although playing sports can promote mental health, there are few findings on the topic in the context of a pandemic and with physical sports and electronic sports (e-sports) players. In this sense, the present study aims to assess the extent to which social connection and mental health indicators are correlated in a sample of sports and e-sports players. The participants were 401 Brazilian physical sports (N = 199, 49.6%) and e-sports players (N = 202, 50.4%), mostly male (53.1%) and single (59.9%), who filled in the Social Connectedness Scale (SCS), the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS), and demographic questions. The results indicated that social connection was negatively correlated and also predict the anxiety (r = -0.37), depression (r = -0.54), and stress (r = -0.39). When comparing sports and e-sports players, a statistically significant difference was identified in the levels of social connection [t(398) = -3.41; sportsmean (SD) = 4.53 (1.14); e-sportsmean (SD) = 4.14 (1.15)] and depression [t(396) = 2.90; sportsmean (SD) = 1.10 (0.89); e-sportsmean (SD) = 0.85 (0.81)]. These findings can serve as a theoretical basis for the development of intervention programs (e.g., to guide managers regarding the social distancing rules that enable them to keep holding sports practices and events) and promoting discussions that focus on the analysis of aspects promoting psychological health in sports context (physical and e-sports).

Personality and coping in League of Legends pro players / Personalidade e coping em jogadores profissionais de League of Legends / Personalidad y coping en jugadores profesionales de League of Legends

Personality has been identified as a predictor of Coping strategies in the context of traditional sport. In this study, we investigated the association between measurements of Big Five Factor and coping strategies in professional League of Legends (LOL) players. 138 people participated, aged between 16 and 37 years (M = 21.24, SD = 3.77), who answered the Big Five Inventory and Athletic Coping Skills Inventory-28. Correlations were made between the scores of these instruments, and regression of coping skills in personality factors. Neuroticism and Conscientiousness are associated with the use of Coping skills, which suggests that personality is a relevant variable in understanding the use of adaptative strategies to deal with adversity while playing LOL, however, other studies should be carried out in the future. (AU)

A personalidade tem sido apontada como preditora de estratégias de Coping no contexto do esporte tradicional. Nesse estudo, investigamos a associação entre medidas dos Cinco Grandes Fatores de personalidade e estratégias de Coping em jogadores profissionais de League of Legends (LOL). Participaram 138 pessoas, com idades entre 16 e 37 anos (M=21,24, DP=3,77), as quais responderam o Big Five Inventory e o Athletic Coping Skills Inventory-28. Foram realizadas correlações entre os escores desses instrumentos, e regressão das habilidades de coping nos fatores de personalidade. Neuroticismo e Conscienciosidade estão associados com o uso das habilidades de Coping, o que sugere que a personalidade é uma variável relevante na compreensão das estratégias adotadas para lidar com as adversidades no LOL, porém, novos estudos devem ser realizados futuramente. (AU)

La personalidad ha sido identificada como un predictor de estrategias de afrontamiento en el contexto del deporte tradicional. En este estudio, investigamos la asociación entre los cinco factores de personalidad y las estrategias de afrontamiento en jugadores profesionales de League of Legends (LOL). Participaron 138 personas, con edades entre 16 y 37 años (M = 21,24, DT = 3,77), que respondieron el Inventario Big Five y el Inventario de Habilidades de Afrontamiento Atlético-28. Se realizaron correlaciones entre las puntuaciones de estos instrumentos y la regresión de las habilidades de afrontamiento en los factores de personalidad. El neuroticismo y responsabilidad están asociados con el uso de habilidades de afrontamiento, lo que sugiere que la personalidad es una variable relevante para comprender el uso de estrategias para lidiar con adversidad en LOL, sin embargo, otros estudios deberían realizarse en el futuro. (AU)

Co-Transformation of Digital Health and eSport in Metaverse: Moderating Effects of Digital Personality on Mental Health in Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA).

Mental health issues (e.g., social exclusion, depression, anxiety, and burnout) became highly prevalent in the global eSport industry. Likewise, the eSport trend in China also dramatically increased, while the attitudes and behaviours of the players also impacted their intentions to utilize video gaming. As China became the epicentre of the online video gaming industry, especially MOBA, it primarily influenced young athletes to adopt video gaming strategies for training purposes. Still, preventive measures are needed for video gaming addictions by athletes to improve their overall eSport performance. To conduct this study, self-administered questionnaires were distributed to 400 athletes aged 18-27 years; the response rate was adequate after screening, out of which 345 were finalized for the data analysis. The results indicate that metaverse-based digital healthcare significantly impacts eSport performance. Moreover, mental health significantly mediated the relationship between metaverse-based digital health and eSport performance. In addition, the digital personality also significantly moderated the relationship between metaverse-based digital healthcare and eSport performance. This research holds tremendous significance both from theoretical and practical perspectives. The study adds valuable insights to the growing body of literature regarding eSport gaming and mental health. The beneficial and constructive intuitions regarding eSport from a psychological perspective can be gained from this study, along with its pros and cons on the mental health of young Chinese athletes.

Characteristics of the gut microbiome in esports players compared with those in physical education students and professional athletes.

Introduction: Esports is a category of competitive video games that, in many aspects, may be similar to traditional sports; however, the gut microbiota composition of players has not been yet studied. Materials and methods: Here, we investigated the composition and function of the gut microbiota, as well as short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and amino acids, in a group of 109 well-characterized Polish male esports players. The results were compared with two reference groups: 25 endurance athletes and 36 healthy students of physical education. DNA and metabolites isolated from fecal samples were analyzed using shotgun metagenomic sequencing and mass spectrometry, respectively. Physical activity and nutritional measures were evaluated by questionnaire. Results: Although anthropometric, physical activity and nutritional measures differentiated esports players from students, there were no differences in bacterial diversity, the Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratio, the composition of enterotype clusters, metagenome functional content, or SCFA concentrations. However, there were significant differences between esports players and students with respect to nine bacterial species and nine amino acids. By contrast, all of the above-mentioned measures differentiated professional athletes from esports players and students, with 45 bacteria differentiating professional athletes from the former and 31 from the latter. The only species differentiating all three experimental groups was Parabacteroides distasonis, showing the lowest and highest abundance in esports players and athletes, respectively. Conclusion: Our study confirms the marked impact of intense exercise training on gut microbial structure and function. Differences in lifestyle and dietary habits between esports players and physical education students appear to not have a major effect on the gut microbiota.

E-sports and sports cyberculture: perspectives of social actors in this universe / E-sports e cibercultura esportiva: perspectivas de atores sociais desse universo

ABSTRACT The present study is dedicated to an analysis of e-sports, understanding them as a way of expressing sports culture in accordance with the contemporary social paradigm that involves cyberculture. Its main objective is to look into the senses and meanings of sports cyberculture for the social actors that make up the e-sports universe. Thus, in a qualitative approach, the semi-structured interview technique was used with 2 cyberathletes and 1 streamer, all professionals. The results show that sports cyberculture is appropriated by these social actors with expectations for career building, taking into account the growth of both the modality and its audience amidst perceptions and experiences of prejudice. It is concluded that sports cyberculture produces and reflects practices, attitudes and values that are similar to the traditional way of experiencing sports, reproducing stereotypes and prejudices, dreams of social ascension, and professionalization prospects.

RESUMO O presente estudo dedica-se a uma análise sobre os e-sports, compreendendo-os como uma maneira de expressão da cultura esportiva consonante ao paradigma social contemporâneo que implica a cibercultura. O objetivo principal deste estudo é analisar sentidos e significados da cibercultura esportiva para atores sociais implicados no universo dos e-sports. Assim, em abordagem qualitativa, empregou-se a técnica de entrevista semiestruturada com 2 ciberatletas e 1 streamer profissionais. Os resultados demonstram que a cibercultura esportiva é apropriada por estes atores sociais com expectativas para a construção da carreira, sobre o crescimento da modalidade e do público em meio às percepções e vivências de preconceitos. Conclui-se que a cibercultura esportiva produz e reflete práticas, atitudes e valores análogos ao modo tradicional de vivência do esporte, reproduzindo estereótipos e preconceitos, sonhos de ascensão social e perspectivas de profissionalização.

Quiet Eye and Computerized Precision Tasks in First-Person Shooter Perspective Esport Games.

The gaze behavior in sports and other applied settings has been studied for more than 20 years. A common finding is related to the "quiet eye" (QE), predicting that the duration of the last fixation before a critical event is associated with higher performance. Unlike previous studies conducted in applied settings with mobile eye trackers, we investigate the QE in a context similar to esport, in which participants click the mouse to hit targets presented on a computer screen under different levels of cognitive load. Simultaneously, eye and mouse movements were tracked using a high-end remote eye tracker at 300 Hz. Consistent with previous studies, we found that longer QE fixations were associated with higher performance. Increasing the cognitive load delayed the onset of the QE fixation, but had no significant influence on the QE duration. We discuss the implications of our results in the context of how the QE is defined, the quality of the eye-tracker data, and the type of analysis applied to QE data.

Identifying electronic-sport athletes' sleep-wake cycle characteristics.

Organized electronic-sport competitions (e-Sport) is related to several health problems, including sleep disorders. The objective of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of the sleep-wake cycle of League of Legends (LoL) athletes during their pre-training, training, pre-competition, and competition routines. Twenty male elite LoL players completed the questionnaires related to sleep pattern (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale), and chronotype (Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire), and they wore an actigraph for 7 days. Pre-training and pre-competition assessments were carried out by questionnaires (n = 20) and training and competition assessments by actigraph (n = 16). The chronotype that most Eathletes presented was a moderately evening type. They presented a poor sleep quality and were borderline for excessive daytime sleepiness. Sleep onset and offset times were significantly prolonged during the competition condition (t = 2.11, p < .05; t = 2.51, p < .05). Correlations showed a relationship between PSQI and Sleepiness in the pre-training and pre-competition conditions (r = 0.50, p = .02) and chronotype with sleep onset (r = 0.61, p = .01), total sleep time (r = 0.55, p = .02), and time awake (r = 0.49, p = .04) in the competition condition. Linear regression analysis indicated associations between the PSQI and sleepiness (25%; p = .02) during pre-training and pre-competition. During the competition there were associations between chronotype and sleep onset (37%; p = .01), chronotype and time awake (24%; p = .04), and chronotype and TST (30%; p = .02). In general, the findings support the conclusion that LoL athletes presented an altered sleep pattern during their training routines.

The Role of Experience, Perceived Match Importance, and Anxiety on Cortisol Response in an Official Esports Competition.

The aim of the present study was to analyse the neuroendocrine stress response, psychological anxiety response, and perceived match importance (PMI) between expert and non-expert control gamers in an official competitive context. We analyzed, in 25 expert esports players and 20 control participants, modifications in their somatic anxiety, cognitive anxiety, self-confidence, PMI, and cortisol in a League of Legends competition. We found how expert esports players presented higher cortisol concentrations (Z = 155.5; p = 0.03; Cohen's d = -0.66), cognitive anxiety (Z = 99.5; p = 0.001), and PMI (Z = 50.5; p < 0.001) before the competition than non-experts participants. We found a greater statistical weight in the cognitive variables than in the physiological ones. The results obtained suggest that real competitive context and player's expertise were factors associated with an anticipatory stress response. The PMI proved to be a differentiating variable between both groups, highlighting the necessity to include subjective variables that contrast objective measurements.