Ergonomic Protocol for Competitive E-Sport Athletes

NCT ID: NCT06781580

Last Updated: 2025-02-27

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

12 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-02-01

Study Completion Date

2025-04-30

Brief Summary

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The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if this ergonomic protocol can improve performance and reduce ergonomic risk in esports athletes. It will also learn about the insight of esports athletes and their experience in implementing this new protocol. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does this ergonomic protocol improve performance? Does this ergonomic protocol reduce ergonomic risk?

Researchers will assign the protocol to esports athletes who meet inclusion criteria and express interest in participating in the study. A pre-post design will be conducted to note any differences.

Participants will:

* Participate in a 6-week study with 4 in-person visits
* Volunteers will be requested to participate in a focus group during Week 6.
* Implement the strengthening protocol 3x a week and a warm up/cool down protocol before and after each gaming session.
* Attend one educational session about gaming ergonomics during Week 1
* Complete the Rapid Entire Body Assessment, Kovaaks Asessment, and a Questionnaire during Week Zero, Week 3, and Week 6.

Detailed Description

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1. Recruitment will occur via snowballing, word-of-mouth, flyers, emails, and social media posts
2. Potential participants will complete a general Demographic questionnaire via Qualtrics as part of the inclusion criteria, collecting information such as age, race, type of gaming input they use (mouse and keyboard or controller), gaming experience, and any self-reported symptoms of musculoskeletal issues from prolonged gaming if any.
3. Potential participants will be contacted within 48 hours of completing the demographic survey informing them of whether or not they are eligible.
4. Eligible participants will complete informed consent via Zoom after 3 days of being informed of eligibility for the study by the student researcher 1 week prior to beginning the study. Potential participants will have 48 hours to make a decision on whether or not they would like to participate in the study.
5. Week Zero of the study will commence and baseline assessments will be performed in person at either Black Fire Innovation or the Tonopah Lounge based on participate convenience, using REBA to assess ergonomic risks and Kovaaks to assess current gaming performance. A questionnaire exploring their current knowledge via Qualtrics in ergonomics will also be provided during this first visit. Participants will be given a scheduled time to show up for this part of data collection.
6. During week one, the student researcher will deliver the supplemental educational component and the ergonomic protocol in person at the Tonapah Lounge. The educational module and ergonomic protocol will be attached. This session will approximately take about 45 minutes to an hour to deliver all information. All information will be found on a website created by the student researcher as a hub for all information taught and implemented during this visit. Handouts of the protocol will also be provided.
7. During week three, the student researcher will conduct an in-person follow-up at the Tonapah Lounge or Black Fire Innovation depending on participant convenience assessing any changes in ergonomic risk and performance using REBA and Kovaaks which will approximately take about 60-90 minutes. Participants will be given a scheduled time to show up for this part of data collection.
8. A second in-person follow-up will be conducted during week six using REBA and Kovaaks, and the focus group will be conducted at this time to explore their progress in the implementation of the protocol after gathering all objective data. This focus group will comprise of 5-7 volunteer participants who will be provided with an incentive of an additional $10 gift card to Steam, a gaming platform. This focus group will be conducted in a secure room at the Tonapah Lounge, separate from the shared space area. An audio recording of the session will be done for the duration of the session for the purpose of transcription. Participants will be assigned unique identifiers to uphold privacy and confidentiality. An audio recording of the session will be done on a password-protected device.
9. A post-survey will also be distributed to all participants via Qualtrics at Week 6. This will take a total of 2-3 hours for the visit.
10. A long-term follow-up will be conducted at Week 12. Participants will receive a questionnaire created on Qualtrics via email to explore adherence to the protocol.

Conditions

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No Disease or Condition is Being Studied

Study Design

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Allocation Method

NA

Intervention Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Ergonomic Protocol for Esports Athletes

This arm of the study involves the implementation of a six-week ergonomic protocol specifically designed for esports athletes who primarily use a PC setup (mouse and keyboard). The intervention includes an educational component on proper posture, warm-ups, and cool-down exercises, as well as a postural rehabilitation program to reduce the risk of repetitive strain injuries and improve gaming performance. Participants will attend four in-person sessions for assessments and training, with ergonomic risk and gaming performance evaluated at baseline, mid-point, and post-intervention. A focus group and long-term follow-up questionnaire will also be included to gather feedback and assess adherence to the protocol.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Esports Ergonomic Protocol

Intervention Type OTHER

The Esports Ergonomic Protocol is a six-week intervention designed to reduce the risk of repetitive strain injuries and enhance gaming performance for esports athletes. It includes an educational session on ergonomics, focusing on proper posture, body mechanics, and workstation setup. The protocol also incorporates warm-up and cool-down exercises to prevent strain and improve flexibility, as well as a postural rehabilitation program targeting the upper extremities and core muscles.

Participants will attend four in-person sessions at specified intervals for ergonomic risk assessments (using REBA) and gaming performance evaluations (using Kovaaks). The intervention also features online resources, including exercise tutorials and ergonomic tips, to support adherence and long-term implementation. Feedback will be collected through post-intervention surveys and an optional focus group to refine the protocol for future use in the esports community.

Interventions

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Esports Ergonomic Protocol

The Esports Ergonomic Protocol is a six-week intervention designed to reduce the risk of repetitive strain injuries and enhance gaming performance for esports athletes. It includes an educational session on ergonomics, focusing on proper posture, body mechanics, and workstation setup. The protocol also incorporates warm-up and cool-down exercises to prevent strain and improve flexibility, as well as a postural rehabilitation program targeting the upper extremities and core muscles.

Participants will attend four in-person sessions at specified intervals for ergonomic risk assessments (using REBA) and gaming performance evaluations (using Kovaaks). The intervention also features online resources, including exercise tutorials and ergonomic tips, to support adherence and long-term implementation. Feedback will be collected through post-intervention surveys and an optional focus group to refine the protocol for future use in the esports community.

Intervention Type OTHER

Other Intervention Names

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Gaming Ergonomics Intervention Ergonomic Training for Esports Athletes

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* 18+ years old
* Primarily participates in PC games(s) using mouse and keyboard for at least a year
* Plays at least 10 hours a week
* Must be affiliated with an established Esports team or organization
* Must have transportation

Exclusion Criteria

* Individuals currently receiving treatment for self-reported pain related to prolonged gaming
* Those with a history of surgical procedures in the upper extremities
* Individuals with cognitive impairments
* Individuals with a history of a neck, shoulder, wrist, and/or back injury
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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University of Nevada, Las Vegas

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Donnamarie Krause

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

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University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Althea Rivera

Role: CONTACT

(702) 215 1588

Donnamarie Krause, Ph.D

Role: CONTACT

(763) 234 2532

Facility Contacts

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Victoria Bernabae

Role: primary

702-895-1811

Nicole Bayreder

Role: backup

(702) 895 4133

Related Links

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https://rivera2183.wixsite.com/level-up-gaming

Information hub including educational component of the study and the protocol.

Other Identifiers

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UNLV-2024-426

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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