In 1958, gamers played the world’s first-ever video game, Tennis for Two. Now, 67 years later, the gaming space has seriously leveled up. Innovation has led to the birth of electronic sports (eSports) or eGaming, where individuals compete in organized tournaments and leagues across various video game genres. Gamers face physical demands, including eye fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, cardiovascular strain, mental fatigue, and decreased mental clarity in order to contend at high levels of competition. These issues have created a new lane for the dietary supplement industry to provide symptom relief and performance enhancement.
High Score
Grand View Research valued the Global eSports market at $2.13 billion in 2024. With a CAGR of 23.1% over the next five years, the market is expected to reach $7.46 billion by 2030. Last year, North America owned the largest market share with over 30%, while Asia Pacific was IDed as the fastest-growing market segment. This data points to massive opportunities for supplement brands, but the key to cornering the market lies in understanding how to authentically meet gamers’ needs.
Powering Up
Gamers put their bodies through long periods of mental and physical stress. To offset this, a quality supplement regimen would address focus, reaction time, energy levels and more. Products resonating with this consumer segment:
Nootropics: In the WholeFoods Magazine feature The Botanical & Shroom Boom, experts discussed brain-boosting gems with science-backed benefits. Dr. Brian H. Keenan, Chief Medical Writer and Education Manager at Ayush Herbs, told us: “As mental health awareness expands, botanicals for focus, stress, and brain fog are being reformulated with more scientific rigor. Ingredient transparency and multi-functional nootropics like bacopa, saffron, and lion’s mane are at the forefront.” Other winners include magnesium, L-tyrosine, DHA, acetyl-L-carnitine, choline, and B-complex vitamins, which have been linked to increased levels in focus.
L-theanine: Studies connect it to improvements in attention and the enhancement of working memory and executive functions.
Ashwagandha: Research supports its use for stress-relief. Gamers often find themselves in high-stress scenarios while performing.
Vitamin D: Gamers often spend a lot of time indoors, limiting exposure to sunlight and unintentionally creating vitamin D shortfalls that can cause issues such as fatigue and mood changes. Vitamin D is also vital for musculoskeletal health.
CoQ10: Research has shown its effectiveness at reducing symptoms of fatigue.
Astaxanthin: In a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study, astaxanthin supplementation showed positive effects for reducing chronic and acute digital eye strain.
Lutein and Zeaxanthin: Research shows the two antioxidants offer eye health support to those with above-average digital screen time usage.
Mango extract: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving healthy adults who regularly played virtual/mobile/computer/laptop games, a mango extract (branded as Stadice from Zeus Hygia Life Sciences) was shown to significantly enhance cognitive abilities, including mental speed, attention, working memory, and verbal learning, while also helping to manage psychological stress.
Citicoline: Researchers examined citicoline’s effects on attention and psychomotor function. Improvements were recorded with accuracy on an attention test, greater signal detection on a computerized attention task, and higher motor speed on a finger-tap test. Read this report from Kyowa Hakko for a closer look at the benefits of citicoline for gamers.
Now Loading…Next Level
With the right strategic alliance, supplement brands’ next level up may be just a few joystick moves away. Brands looking to appeal to gamers will need to evolve alongside the sport, and that means adopting new ways of capturing their attention. Check out these 5 tips to attract gamers to score in this space. WF
