A Single Bout of Exercise Improves Accuracy in Video Gaming: a Pilot Study

Abstract

There are 2.3 billion of video gamers worldwide and this number is expected to grow to more than 2.7 billion by 2021. Research has demonstrated negative associations between the number of hours spent in front of a screen and physical inactivity. Video gamers are thus at a great risk of experiencing long-term health issues associated to excessive sedentarism. Cardiovascular exercise has been proven to be an effective intervention in reducing the risk of cardiometabolic clinical conditions as well as enhancing brain health and function. However, whether exercise has positive effects on video game performance is not known. PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of a single bout of cardiovascular exercise on the performance of “League of Legends” (LoL), a video game played daily by more than 30 million players. METHODS: 14 healthy young (18-28 yo) LoL gamers played an individual LoL task of 20 min preceded by either 15 min of a high-intensity interval exercise or rest. The two conditions were administered on two separate days in a counterbalanced fashion. Video game performance was assessed as the number of targets destroyed, as well as accuracy, defined as the ability to destroy a target with only one attack. Attacks that required more than one attempt to destroy a target were counted as accuracy errors. RESULTS: Exercise improved the capacity of participants to successfully destroy targets, but differences between exercise (119.43 [4.23]) and rest (111.50 [3.98]) did not reach statistical significance (paired t-test; t=1.81; p=0.094). Exercise enhanced accuracy, with fewer errors after exercise than after rest (paired t-test; t=-2.38; p=0.033). Self-reported sitting time was negatively associated with total score after the rest condition (r=-0.55; p=0.040). Neither other variable (cardio-respiratory fitness, BMI, cognitive level) was associated with game performance. CONCLUSION: Exercise performed before playing LoL improves video game performance increasing accuracy. The fact that players with less sitting time showed better performance reinforces the importance of reducing sedentary behaviors in this group. The implementation of exercise routines in video gamers may improve their general health and their gaming performance. Supported by FRQS Junior I Salary Award (MR) and by the McGill Faculty of Medicine (OL).