Esports players’ heart rates surge during matches, but their actual energy expenditure is lower than in typical exercise, a study found.

On Oct. 7, Japan's ITmedia reported that researchers including Masaryk University in the Czech Republic published a systematic review of energy expenditure and physiological responses during esports matches in the international journal Sports Medicine Open. The team reviewed 176 related papers and conducted a final analysis of 5 studies that met its criteria.

The analysis included amateur and professional esports players. The games ranged from multiplayer online battle arena titles such as League of Legends and Dota 2 to first-person shooters including Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Overwatch, as well as sports games such as the FIFA series. The included studies measured physiological changes during play using methods such as indirect calorimetry with exhaled gases, heart-rate monitors and blood tests. Some studies compared results with sitting at rest or with cycling exercise that raised heart rate to a similar level.

Heart-rate responses were clear. In one study, a heart rate of about 85 beats per minute at rest rose to 137 beats per minute within 10 minutes of the start of a game. This was interpreted as the result of sympathetic nervous system activation driven by intense focus and competitive pressure.

Energy expenditure, however, remained at about 1.3 to 2.5 kilocalories per minute. One study found energy use during competitive play rose about 40 percent from a resting state, but overall it was far from vigorous exercise. The researchers assessed the metabolic demands of esports as broadly at the level of light physical activity.

The report said the rapid heartbeat during matches is driven less by large body movement than by tension and cognitive load. The researchers stressed the need for future studies using more standardised methods to examine energy expenditure and long-term health effects, considering health risks for esports players who compete while seated for long periods.