2025 Volume 3 Issue 1 Pages 59-65
Objective: The popularity of electronic sports (esports) is increasing worldwide, and it is estimated that the number of domestic and international tournament participants will correspondingly increase in the future. Compared to overseas esports athletes, there are currently a lack of surveys on injuries among domestic esports athletes. This study therefore aimed to confirm the current status of esports-related injuries, ways of dealing with them, and support systems among esports athletes in Japan. We formulated two hypotheses: First, esports-related injuries would occur in domestic esports athletes, and the most common locations of injury would be the wrist, neck, lumbar back, and fingers. Second, the ways of dealing with injuries would be original.
Methods: Eight professional esports athletes participated in this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted online using videoconferencing software. First, participants were asked about competitive information such as playing time per day and playing frequency per week. Next, participants were queried about their history of esports-related injuries. Those who had experienced injuries were asked about their injury locations, number of days away from the competition, and how they dealt with the injuries. Finally, the participants were asked whether they had a support system. Participants who had a support system were asked about it.
Results: The average playing time per day was 7.3 hours and the average playing frequency per week was 6.6 days. Seven esports-related injuries occurred in five of the eight participants (62.5 %), with injuries located in the wrist, fingers, lumbar back, the cervical spine, and the shoulder girdle. Participants with the injuries experience did not have a support system. They each have their own ways of dealing with icing and stretching. Three participants without injury had physical, mental, and nutritional support systems in place.
Conclusion: This study revealed that esports-related injuries occur among esports athletes in Japan. Athletes who reported injuries had ways of dealing with injuries, but no support system in place. In contrast, athletes who had never experienced injuries had a support system in place, suggesting that the support system may have contributed to injury prevention.
