Effect of E-Sports Training on Hand Functions and Reaction Time in Young Adults: Randomized Controlled Study

Abstract

Aim: To examine the effects of first-person shooter (FPS), a type of electronic sport that is increasingly popular, on reaction time, hand grip and pinch strength in healthy young adults when played regularly. Method: Forty-four young adults with similar physical activity levels completed this randomized controlled prospective study. Participants were randomized into the study group (SG) (n=22) and the non-gaming control group (CG) (n=22). While SG played games with the AIM LAB program for 15 minutes a day for 4 weeks, CG did not do any practice. After the demographic characteristics of all participants were noted, their grip strength was evaluated with a hand dynamometer, pinch strength with a pinchmeter, and reaction time with the ruler drop test. All tests were repeated at the end of 4 weeks in SG and CG. Results: The groups were similar in terms of demographic data and baseline evaluations (p>0.05). In SG, significant improvement was observed in strengths and reaction time after 4 weeks of practice compared to baseline (p<0.05). CG showed no improvements in terms of hand grip and pinch strength, and reaction time (p>0.05). There were significant differences between SG and CG in the changes in strength and reaction time values in 4 weeks long period (p<0.05). Conclusion: FPS played regularly for four weeks led to improvements in reaction time, hand grip and pinch strength in young adults. Young adults who want to develop these functional components can play FPS regularly, even if they are not gamers.

Keywords

• E-Sports
• gamer
• hand function
• reaction time

E-Spor Antrenmanının Genç Yetişkinlerde El Fonksiyonları ve Reaksiyon Zamanına Etkisi: Randomize Kontrollü Çalışma

Öz

Amaç: Popülaritesi gittikçe artan elektronik sporun bir türü olan birinci şahıs nişancı (FPS)’nin düzenli oynandığında sağlıklı genç erişkinlerde reaksiyon zamanı, el kavrama ve çimdik kuvvetine olan etkisini incelemektir. Yöntem: Bu randomize kontrollü prospektif çalışmayı benzer fiziksel aktivite seviyelerindeki 44 genç yetişkin tamamladı. Katılımcılar çalışma grubu (ÇG)(n=22) ve oyun oynamayan kontrol grubuna (KG)(n=22) randomize edildi. ÇG 4 hafta boyunca, günde 15 dakikalık AIM LAB programı ile oyun oynarken, KG hiçbir uygulama yapmadı. Tüm katılımcıların demografik özellikleri not edildikten sonra başlangıç kavrama kuvvetleri el dinamometresi ile, çimdik kuvveti pinchmetre ile, reaksiyon zamanı Ruler Drop testi ile değerlendirildi. Tüm testlemeler ÇG ve KG’de 4 haftanın sonunda tekrarlandı. Bulgular: Demografik veriler ve başlangıç değerlendirmeleri yönünden gruplar benzerdi (p>0,05). ÇG'de 4 hafta sonunda tüm parametrelerde başlangıca göre anlamlı iyileşme gözlendi (p<0,05). KG, el kavrama ve çimdikleme kuvveti ile reaksiyon süresi açısından herhangi bir gelişme göstermedi (p>0,05). Dört haftalık periyotta kuvvet ve reaksiyon süresi değerlerindeki değişimler açısından ÇG ve KG arasında anlamlı fark vardı (p<0,05). Sonuç: Dört hafta boyunca düzenli olarak oynanan FPS, genç yetişkinlerde reaksiyon zamanı, el kavrama ve çimdik kuvvetinde iyileşmeye sebep olmuştur. Bu fonksiyonel bileşenleri geliştirmek isteyen genç yetişkinler, oyuncu olmasa da düzenli olarak FPS oynayabilir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• E-Spor
• oyuncu
• reaksiyon zamanı
• el fonksiyonu

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