Effects Of Warm-up Activities On Competitive Performance And Prefrontal Cortex Activation In ESports Players

Objective:This study aims to investigate the effects of warm-up activities on the competitive performance and prefrontal cortex activation of e Sports players during first-person shooter games,and to investigate the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the effects,to provide a scientific basis for a proper pre-game warm-up for e Sports players.Methods:Thirty-three first-person shooter e-sports players(age=21.97±1.07years,height=176.91±1.24cm,weight=68.67±2.40kg,body mass index=21.84±0.66kg/m~2 and average training years:4.55±1.00 years)were recruited and tested for e-sports performance and prefrontal cortex hemodynamic changes in two states:without warm-up and with a warm-up(running+finger exercises)testing.Performance in e-sports was tested using Aimbooster e-sports training software(Migi,China),and prefrontal hemodynamic changes were tested using a functional near-infrared spectroscopic imager(Shimadzu,Japan),and differences in data between the two states were tested using a paired-samples t-test.Results:1.E-sports performance tests:(1)Fixed target task results:the number of hits(without warm-up=126.72±14.17,with warm-up=142.14±14.44,P<0.001),accuracy(without warm-up=77.46±5.95,with warm-up=81.32±7.50,P=0.001)and a number of rings scored by e-sports players in the warm-up state degree of scoring(without warm-up=286.63±36.96points,with warm-up=315.23±34.57points,P<0.001)were higher than in the without warm-up condition.(2)Moving target task results:e Sports players had higher accuracy(without warm-up=52.40±10.36,with warm-up=66.38±8.75,P<0.001)and higher ring score(without warm-up=31.48±6.37points,with warm-up=45.67±4.86points,P<0.001)in the warmed-up state than in the without warm-up state;reaction time(without warm- up=453.34±38.29ms,with warm-up=424.60±34.15ms,P<0.001)were lower than in the without warm-up condition.2.f-NIRS results:(1)Fixed target task:in the warm-up state,the frontopolar region of the e Sports player(CH4:without warm-up=0.30±2.59 mmol×10-7,with warm-up=-0.96±2.26 mmol×10-7,P=0.022;CH5:without warm-up=1.02±3.01 mmol×10-7,with warm-up=-0.45±2.98 mmol×10-7,P=0.023;CH11:without warm-up=0.17±2.39 mmol×10-7,with warm-up=-1.22±2.77 mmol×10-7,P=0.037;CH12:without warm-up=0.23±1.98 mmol×10-7,with warm-up=-0.44±2.13 mmol×10-7,P=0.028;CH14:without warm-up=-0.02±2.75 mmol×10-7,with warm-up=-0.85±1.95 mmol×10-7,P=0.034),dorsolateral prefrontal(CH7:without warm-up=-0.02±2.75 mmol×10-7,with warm-up=-0.85±1.95 mmol×10-7,P=0.036),ventral Oxyhemoglobin concentration in the lateral prefrontal lobe(CH16:without warm-up=0.46±2.59 mmol×10-7,with warm-up=-0.93±2.45 mmol×10-7,P=0.029)was significantly decreased compared to that without warm-up.(2)Moving target task:in the warm-up state,the frontal pole area of the e Sports player(CH6:without warm-up=2.31±2.89 mmol×10-7,with warm-up=1.12±2.90 mmol×10-7,P=0.016;CH11:without warm-up=-0.59±2.19 mmol×10-7,with warm-up=-1.84±2.85 mmol×10-7,P=0.006;CH12:without warm-up=1.73±1.88 mmol×10-7,with warm-up=0.20±2.20 mmol×10-7,P=0.001)had a significant decrease in oxyhemoglobin concentration compared with without warm-up.3.Results of the correlation between prefrontal activation and competitive performance:in the fixed target task,without warm-up,the number of hits was significantly and very significantly positively correlated with CH16(P=0.006),the ring score was significantly and positively correlated with CH16(P=0.005);accuracy was significantly and positively correlated with CH16(P=0.017).After warm-up, accuracy was significantly negatively correlated with CH12(P=0.030)and accuracy was significantly negatively correlated with CH16(P=0.036);ring score was significantly negatively correlated with CH12(P=0.021).In the moving target task,ring count scores were significantly positively correlated with CH6 when there was no warm-up(P=0.033),and ring count scores and reaction times were not correlated with any of the channels.After the warm-up,accuracy,ring count score,and reaction time were not correlated with each channel.3.Correlation results between prefrontal activation and competitive performance:in the stationary target task,without warm-up,the number of hits was significantly and very significantly positively correlated with the ventral lateral prefrontal(CH16)(P=0.006),the number of ring scores was very significantly and positively correlated with the ventral lateral prefrontal(CH16)(P=0.005);accuracy was significantly and positively correlated with the ventral lateral prefrontal(CH16)(P=0.017);after warm-up,accuracy was significantly negatively correlated with frontopolar area(CH12)(P=0.030)and accuracy was significantly negatively correlated with ventral lateral prefrontal(CH16)(P=0.036);ring score was significantly negatively correlated with frontopolar area(CH12)(P=0.021).In the moving target task,without warm-up,ring count score was significantly positively correlated with frontopolar area(CH6)(P=0.033),and ring count score and reaction time were not correlated with any of the channels.After warm-up,accuracy,ring count score and reaction time were not correlated with each channel.Conclusion:(1)Warm-up activities can improve the number of hits,accuracy,and ring score and reduce the reaction time of e Sports players playing first-person shooter games.(2)After warm-up activities,e Sports players’prefrontal cortex was activated during first-person shooter games,reducing oxygenated hemoglobin concentrations in the frontopolar area,dorsolateral prefrontal,and ventral lateral prefrontal.