Elite MOBA e-sports athletes showed significant phase-dependent physiological changes: early game increased VO2 (~0.37 L/min), EE (1.84 kcal/min), HR (+12.8%), and RMSSD (+52.2%); mid game metabolic indices decreased but remained elevated; late game showed partial autonomic recovery with elevated carbohydrate oxidation (~68.2%).
Elite e-sports athletes experience phase-dependent physiological and metabolic changes during gameplay, providing insights for optimizing training and recovery.
Elite e-sports athletes demonstrate dynamic, phase-dependent alterations in energy metabolism and autonomic nervous system regulation. The early phase is characterized by carbohydrate-dominated physiological activation, the mid phase by metabolic stabilization amid sustained cognitive demand, and the late phase by partial autonomic recovery with cumulative neural fatigue. These findings highlight the physiological mechanisms underlying E-sports performance and provide actionable insights for optimizing training regimens, fatigue monitoring protocols, and recovery interventions.
Li et al. (Fri,) conducted a other in Elite male players with rank ≥ Platinum in League of Legends, healthy, no metabolic or cardiovascular disorders (n=20). League of Legends gameplay in solo-queued ranked matches vs. Resting state was evaluated on Energy metabolism parameters (VO2, VCO2, EE), heart rate variability indices (HR, RMSSD) during distinct game phases compared to resting state. Elite MOBA e-sports athletes showed significant phase-dependent physiological changes: early game increased VO2 (~0.37 L/min), EE (1.84 kcal/min), HR (+12.8%), and RMSSD (+52.2%); mid game metabolic indices decreased but remained elevated; late game showed partial autonomic recovery with elevated carbohydrate oxidation (~68.2%).