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Elevate Your Performance: 10 Supplements for E-Sports Athletes

YANN KLUSCHKE

Updated: Oct 16, 2024

Discover the Pinnacle: A Comprehensive Guide to the Top Supplements for Enhancing Your Gaming Focus and Potential



In the realm of competitive gaming, achieving optimal focus and unlocking your full potential is a crucial aspect of success. While skill and strategy play essential roles, the right supplements can serve as valuable allies in your quest for peak gaming performance. Let's delve into a comprehensive guide, exploring the top 10 supplements that can enhance your gaming experience by sharpening focus and unlocking hidden potentials.


Games and supplements?

There is little proof that using specific drugs may enhance gaming performance. Although esports players may not need to take supplements, there are three key areas where they might benefit:


Eye protection

For esports athletes, eye health is crucial because prolonged screen time can cause eye strain, dry eyes, and other related symptoms. The most demanding challenge for eye health is focusing on a single visual task. An example of a game that requires such mental skills is Counter-Strike, where cyberathletes should be able to aim precisely most of the time. Additionally, gamers also need to boost or at least support the level of visual acuity, night vision, contrast sensitivity, eye-tracking, depth perception glare and flash recovery, dark adaptation as well as ocular signalling speed. As you can see, the list is pretty broad.


Cognitive skills boosting

Cognitive skills in esports refer to the mental abilities of players that may contribute to their success in competitive gaming. These skills include focus, attention, perception, memory and decision-making. Developing and maintaining strong cognitive skills is important for any esports player, as it can give them an advantage over their opponents in high-pressure situations. Reaction time in esports is the speed at which a player can respond to visual stimuli in an online gaming scenario. A quick reaction time is crucial in many fast-paced esports games such as first-person shooters and real-time strategy games. It is determined by a player’s hand-eye coordination, decision-making skills, and overall reflexes.


Energy boosting and fatigue level reduction

Fatigue is a common issue faced by esports players, especially during prolonged gaming sessions. Sometimes routine gaming “workout” can last up to 12 hours daily, and that leaves a lot of mental load in the mind of an individual. And don’t forget that the sitting position that is typical for gamers is likely to cause physical fatigue as well, especially in neck muscles. Interestingly enough, many chairs on the market are designed specifically for gamers. So, getting a nice and comfy seat might be a brilliant idea to reduce muscle strains.



Exploring the potential impact of supplements on esports performance reveals nuanced effects influenced by individual response variations. The following supplements and nootropics, with varying implications, have been identified as potentially influencing esports performance:


  1. Caffeine: Often used in pre-workout, caffeine improves focus, alertness, concentration, and reaction time by inhibiting adenosine activity in the brain. Despite its efficacy in enhancing mental abilities, caution is advised due to potential side effects, such as increased heart rate and diminished sleep quality. Studies on professional esports players indicate improved hit accuracy and reaction time with a dosage of 3 mg per kg of body weight.

  2. L-Theanine: An amino acid found in tea leaves, L-theanine offers potential benefits for mental and physical health. It may enhance focus, attention, and cognitive functioning while providing a calming effect on the brain, reducing stress and anxiety. Combining 250-300 mg of L-theanine with caffeine 45 minutes before activity can optimize cognitive properties.

  3. N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine (NALT): Tyrosine, an amino acid crucial for neurotransmitter synthesis, is utilized by gamers to enhance mental clarity and focus. NALT, an acetylated form of L-tyrosine, demonstrates cognitive-boosting capabilities during high-stress situations. The recommended dosage for maximal effect is 500-1500 mg taken 20-30 minutes before intense effort.

  4. B-Complex: Essential for neurotransmitter production and metabolic regulation, B-complex vitamins, particularly B12 and B6, may enhance energy levels and cognitive function. Activated forms of these vitamins are preferable, and daily intake in the morning is advised.

  5. Magnesium: Critical for various physiological processes, including muscle function and energy metabolism, magnesium is essential for neuromuscular coordination and optimal nervous system signal transmission. Esports athletes prone to magnesium deficiency benefit from dietary sources or supplements. Advanced forms like threonate, bisglycinate, or taurate, taken at an estimated dosage of 200-400 mg twice daily, optimize brain functioning.

  6. Lutein and Zeaxanthin: Carotenoids found in supplements may support eye health and reduce oxidative stress caused by prolonged screen exposure. Daily intake of 10 mg for lutein and 2 mg for zeaxanthin is recommended.

  7. Astaxanthin: Another carotenoid with potential eye health benefits, astaxanthin, sourced from marine organisms, may enhance visual acuity, reduce eye fatigue, and improve contrast sensitivity. A recommended daily dosage ranges from 2-4 mg.

  8. Taurine: A naturally occurring amino acid, taurine, known for its calming effect on the brain, regulates neurotransmitter levels and exhibits neuroprotective effects. Taurine supplements, effective at 1,000 to 3,000 mg daily, support memory consolidation, motivation, and mental clarity, while also preventing muscular cramps common in prolonged gaming sessions.

  9. Creatine: Widely used for physical performance enhancement, creatine's ability to increase muscle and brain stores of phosphocreatine may translate to improved brain bioenergetics. A daily intake of 3-5 grams maintains optimal creatine levels in the body.

  10. Alpha-GPC: A natural compound popular in the gaming and esports communities, Alpha-GPC enhances cognitive functioning, focus, alertness, and physical performance. Serving as a source of choline, a precursor to acetylcholine, it positively impacts learning, memory, and cognitive processes. Daily dosages of 400-1200 mg, with 200-600 mg taken in the morning and a similar dose before mental activity, can optimize cognitive benefits.


The bottom line


The use of supplements in esports is a matter of personal choice and there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Some cyberathletes may use supplements as part of their overall training and nutrition regimen to help enhance performance, reduce fatigue, or improve cognitive skills. The most efficient approach seems to be finding the best option through trial and error while paying attention to the potential side effects. Keep in mind that even though using substances during a competition might be tempting, we encourage all sportspeople, including gamers, to compete with a fair play attitude. And don’t forget about the basics. Getting enough sleep and giving your body time to rest are probably some of the most effective natural ways to feel refreshed and ready to compete!



 

Reference list:

DiFrancisco-Donoghue J. et al., Managing the health of the Esport athlete: anintegrated health management model. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise, 2019Kimberl J. Esports enthusiasts target dietary supplements to up their game, Decker Nutritional Outlook, 2020Kvansakul J. et al. Supplementation with the carotenoids lutein or zeaxanthin improves human visual performance. Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics,2006,Mares J. Lutein and Zeaxanthin Isomers in Eye Health and Disease. Annu Rev Nutr. 2016Otsuka T. et al. Astaxanthin Protects Against Retinal Damage: Evidence from In Vivo and In Vitro Retinal Ischemia and Reperfusion Models. Curr Eye Res. 2016Sainz I. et al., Effect of acute caffeine intake on hit accuracy and reaction time in professional e-sports players. Physiol Behav, 2020Szot M. et al., Can Nutrients and Dietary Supplements Potentially Improve Cognitive Performance Also in Esports? Healthcare, 2022.Tartar J. et al. A prospective study evaluating the effects of a nutritional supplement intervention on cognition, mood states, and mental performance in video gamers. Nutrients, 2019Young SN. L-tyrosine to alleviate the effects of stress? J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2007https://best5supplements.com/vision/vision-supplements-gaming-esports/#Best-5-Vision-Supplements-for-Gaming-and-eSportshttps://www.transparentlabs.com/blogs/all/best-nootropics-for-gaming-brain-supplements-increase-focus

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