Physical Fitness Assessment in Professional and Amateur E-Sports Players

Comparing the Physical Fitness Levels of Professional and Amateur E-Sports Players

The aim of this observational cross-sectional study is to compare the physical fitness characteristics of professional and amateur e-sports players and to determine whether differences exist between the two groups in terms of physical fitness parameters.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Sedentary Behavior; Physical Fitness; E-Athletes; Musculoskeletal Health

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 40

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Abdelrahman Torky; Phone Number: +905348550507; Email: abdelrahmantorky0@gmail.com
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Begüm Kara Kaya; Phone Number: +905355720021; Email: bkara@biruni.edu.tr

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Sarıyer
    • Istanbul, Sarıyer, Turkey (Türkiye), 34396
      • Istinye University - Vadi Campus

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Professional and amateur e-sports players aged 18-30 years recruited from Istinye University and affiliated e-sports organizations. Professional players are defined as individuals who engage in structured gaming for at least 25 hours per week, are affiliated with a competitive team, participate regularly in official tournaments, and receive income or sponsorship related to gaming. Amateur players engage in 15 hours or less of recreational gaming per week, are not affiliated with professional teams, and do not receive gaming-related income. All participants are healthy volunteers without medical conditions affecting physical performance.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults aged 18 to 30 years
• Able to read and understand Turkish
• Professional e-sports players:
• ≥25 hours per week of structured gaming
• Affiliated with a competitive team or organization
• Participates in official tournaments at least once per month
• Receives income or sponsorship related to gaming

Amateur e-sports players:

• ≤15 hours per week of recreational gaming
• Not affiliated with a professional team or league
• Does not receive income or sponsorship from gaming
• Voluntary agreement to participate and provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of respiratory, cardiovascular, or neurological disorders
• History of surgery within the last 6 months
• Current use of medication that may affect physical performance
• Currently undergoing physical therapy or rehabilitation
• Any musculoskeletal injury that may impair performance during physical fitness testing.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Professional E-Sports Players; Participants who engage in structured gaming ≥25 hours per week, are affiliated with a competitive team or organization, participate in official tournaments at least once per month, and receive income or sponsorship related to gaming.
Amateur E-Sports Players; Participants who engage in ≤15 hours of recreational gaming per week, are not affiliated with a professional team, and do not receive income or sponsorship from gaming.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
BlazePod Reaction Time	Reaction time will be assessed using the BlazePod wireless light system. Participants will respond to randomized visual stimuli by tapping illuminated pods as quickly as possible. The mean reaction time (milliseconds) from three trials will be used for analysis. Lower values indicate faster reaction performance.	At baseline

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test	Total distance (meters) completed during the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test, reflecting cardiorespiratory endurance.	At baseline
Hand Grip Strength	Maximum grip strength (kg) measured using a Camry EH101 dynamometer. The highest value from two trials per hand will be recorded.	At baseline
Wall Sit Test	Total time (seconds) participants maintain a 90-degree wall sit position, indicating lower-limb muscular endurance.	At baseline
Push-Up Test	Total number of correctly performed push-ups completed without rest, representing upper-body muscular endurance.	At baseline
Sit-and-Reach Test	Maximum reach distance (cm) achieved during flexibility assessment.	At baseline
Body Mass Index	BMI calculated as weight (kg) divided by height (m²).	At baseline
Y-Balance Test	Normalized reach distance (%) in anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral directions to assess dynamic balance.	At baseline
Countermovement Jump	Maximum vertical jump height (cm) calculated using the difference between standing reach and jump reach.	At baseline
IPAQ-SF	Total physical activity expressed in MET-minutes per week.	At baseline
SBQ	Total daily sedentary time (hours/day) calculated from questionnaire responses.	At baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Istinye University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): March 9, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): February 28, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): March 9, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 2, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 2, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): March 5, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 5, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 2, 2026
• Last Verified: February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: E-Sports, Physical Fitness, Professional Gamers, Amateur Gamers, Sedentary Lifestyle, Musculoskeletal Health, Reaction Time, Balance, Aerobic Capacity
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavior; Sedentary Behavior
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2026/21

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No