University of Leeds researchers claim gaming for longer periods reduces signs of physiological stress

However, a new study from human biology and psychology researchers at the University of Leeds which investigated the physiological effects of stress related to gaming found players had lower levels of stress after playing a match.

The study, commissioned by BetVictor, focused on first person shooters and battle royales, games which are commonly played by professional gamers and esports athletes.

The game titles included Apex Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Call of Duty: Warzone and PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds.

Participants were aged between 20-26 years old (with an average age of 23.2), with participants playing just one game.

For each of the monitored games, participants were recorded playing the game on a minimum of three occasions.

During the game play it was found players heart rates were elevated across all games - related to in-game events such as encountering an enemy.

Those players who had years of experience playing their game had a greater stress reduction and all participants agreed their stress levels were reduced from playing.

Across all games, there was very little change in blood pressure pre and post playing.

This indicates that participants did not experience stress as a result of playing.

Equally, blood pressure did not reduce.

This may well be due to the fact that participants are relatively young and when pre-playing the video games their blood pressure was at an appropriate level, even if they reported feeling stressed on the STAI questionnaire, the researchers found.

This study follows the success of previous research topic Your Body on Football, which found that watching your favourite football team resulted in a lowering of blood pressure and generated a “positive stress response” akin to a cardiovascular workout.

You can view the full study on the BetVictor blog.Support the YEP and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news and the latest on Leeds United, With a digital subscription, you see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.