University of Essex Throws Away Undisclosed Amount of Research Dollars in Attempt to Determine if Top Gamers are as Fit as Pro Athletes
A recent study conducted by the University of Essex compared top gamers’ psychological and physical health to that of professional athletes. It concluded that while the “mental sharpness and psychological health of the “cyber-sportsmen” was similar to that of the “real” athletes, their fitness levels were shockingly low. The study cites the example of a leading gamer in his twenties who had a slim, athletic physique yet had the lung function and aerobic fitness of a heavy smoker in his sixties.
Dr. Micklewright, who authored the study, blamed the gamer’s poor physical health on the gaming lifestyle of spending 10 hours a day in front of a computer.
”Someone of this age should be much fitter, but perhaps this is the occupational hazard of the professional gamer who can spend around 10 hours a day in front of a screen,” Micklewright said. ”It is always difficult to say how these things will develop, but it could have long term health implications such as an increased risk of heart disease.
Micklewright went on to explain that while gaming shares some characteristics with sports such as being competitive, skill-based, and governed by structured rules, the fact that video gaming does not require physical exertion precludes it from being a bonafide sport.
Really, Sherlock? A university poured coveted research dollars into a study to prove that video gaming is not a sport in the way that basketball, soccer, running and volleyball are? What is the world coming to? And how, do pray tell, did this study get funded?
First, it is ridiculous to compare professional gamers to elite professional athletes. I do not feel the need to explain why. Second, the study did not mention professional gamers who spend 10 hours in front of the computer and then put in an intense two-hour workout. There was no mention of professional gamers who run marathons or compete in other sports. The study assumes that all these poor geeks do is play video games, period. And that being a gamer precludes their participation in any sort of athletic endeavor, or even hitting up the local rec center a few times a week. Ugh. And I thought science wasn’t my thing.
