Esports Gamers, Recreational Gamers, and the Active Couch Potato Lifestyle

Abstract

Esports gamers compete in sanctioned tournaments whereas recreational gamers play video games casually for fun. Research suggests exercise might benefit esports performance. Regular exercise combined with prolonged sitting while gaming may lead esports gamers to be “Active Couch Potatoes,” (highly sedentary individuals who meet physical activity guidelines). This research investigated the relationship between esports gamers (n = 304), recreational gamers (n = 229), and the Active Couch Potato lifestyle. Participants reported time spent playing video games, esports participation, physical activity, and sedentary behavior. Using established guidelines, participants were categorized as Active (sufficient exercise, not sedentary), Not Active (insufficient exercise), or Active Couch Potato (sufficient exercise, highly sedentary). ANOVA revealed no difference in time spent gaming across physical activity groups ( P = .332). Logistic regression examined relationships between physical activity groups, esports participation, sex, and age. Esports participation was the only significant predictor ( P < .001). Crosstabs with Chi-square then described this relationship in detail: in the Not Active group, 64.7% were recreational gamers, 35.3% esports gamers; in the Active group, 28.9% were recreational gamers, 71.1% esports gamers; among Active Couch Potatoes, 61.2% were recreational gamers, 38.8% esports gamers (χ2 = 65.52, Sig.<.001). Relative to recreational gamers, a significantly greater proportion of esports gamers exceeded exercise guidelines and minimized sitting.