The Effect of Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercise and Posture Exercises in E-Athletes

NCT ID: NCT06906796

Last Updated: 2025-05-22

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 38 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2024-10-04
• Study Completion Date: 2025-05-18

Brief Summary

There are many studies in the literature on diaphragmatic breathing exercise and posture exercises, but there are limited studies examining the effects of diaphragmatic breathing exercise and posture exercises on posture, pain and quality of life in e-athletes.

The investigators aim to contribute to the literature by examining the effects of diaphragmatic breathing exercise and posture exercises on posture, pain and quality of life in e-athletes.

Detailed Description

Electronic sports (E-sports) can be defined as a sport where individuals can play games from anywhere in the world via the internet or where people from various parts of the world play thanks to international and local organizations held at certain times. E-sports is a very popular sports field thanks to the ability to play on computer-based game systems in a globally competitive arena.

E-sports can be seen as a recreational activity outside of work hours. With its easy accessibility, area of influence and it is benefits to the individual involved, e-sports emerged as a popular recreational activity of the technology age. On the other hand, it is also considered a kind of gaming addiction. It is stated that the average gaming time is 5.2 hours per day. However, it is reported that these athletes can spend up to 14 hours per day on training or matches.

Although e-sports athletes sit at their desks for long periods during competitions, they exhibit highly coordinated movement patterns in the virtual world. The health problems seen in e-sports players are like those seen in general office workers. Musculoskeletal problems that develop due to staying in the same position for a long time can be seen in these athletes. Chronic pain that develops due to the musculoskeletal system can be shown as an example of these problems.

The increasing competitive pressure on e-sports players and the process of reaching elite performance levels can make them prone to mental health symptoms. According to research conducted on e-football players, the prevalence of mental health deterioration symptoms is high in e-football players, with 22% showing anxiety symptoms and 37% showing depression symptoms. On the other hand, e-sports players are known to have a higher prevalence of insomnia and anxiety than non-gaming participants.

Many studies have indicated that breathing exercises significantly affect both the physical and mental state of the individual. Regular practice of diaphragmatic breathing exercise leads to significant improvements in sleep quality and overall well-being, as well as reductions in respiratory rate, depression, and anxiety levels. Such exercises are deemed essential not only for the rehabilitation of patients but also for safeguarding against conditions that adversely impact the quality of life, including depression and anxiety, in healthy individuals. Scientific studies indicate that posture exercises coupled with diaphragmatic breathing exercise, positively influence pain levels and enhance quality of life.

The investigators aim to contribute to the literature by examining the effects of diaphragmatic breathing exercise and posture exercises on posture, pain and quality of life in e-athletes.

Conditions

E-Athletes

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Exercise Group

The exercise group will perform diaphragmatic breathing exercise and posture exercises 3 days a week for 6 weeks. After the diaphragmatic breathing exercise is performed for 5 minutes, individuals will perform each of the posture exercises with 10 repetitions.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Diaphragmatic breathing exercise and posture exercises

Intervention Type: OTHER

Diaphragmatic breathing exercise: Before starting the exercise protocol, individuals in the exercise group will be given training on diaphragmatic breathing exercises. During the exercise sessions, individuals will be advised to place one hand on their abdomen and the other on their chest while lying on their back and to increase abdominal movement by breathing slowly through the nose, thus decreasing rib cage movement. The diaphragmatic breathing exercise will be performed for 5 minutes.

Posture exercises: Individuals will be given posture exercise training before starting the exercise protocol. The smoothness of the movements will be checked throughout the exercise. Chin tuck, shoulder rotation, neck extension with exercise rubber and right-left lateral flexion, pectoral stretching with hands behind, pectoral stretching in the corner and head rib cage extension exercises will be applied as posture exercises. Each exercise will be done with 10 repetitions.

Control Group

The control group will not receive any intervention.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Diaphragmatic breathing exercise and posture exercises

Diaphragmatic breathing exercise: Before starting the exercise protocol, individuals in the exercise group will be given training on diaphragmatic breathing exercises. During the exercise sessions, individuals will be advised to place one hand on their abdomen and the other on their chest while lying on their back and to increase abdominal movement by breathing slowly through the nose, thus decreasing rib cage movement. The diaphragmatic breathing exercise will be performed for 5 minutes.

Posture exercises: Individuals will be given posture exercise training before starting the exercise protocol. The smoothness of the movements will be checked throughout the exercise. Chin tuck, shoulder rotation, neck extension with exercise rubber and right-left lateral flexion, pectoral stretching with hands behind, pectoral stretching in the corner and head rib cage extension exercises will be applied as posture exercises. Each exercise will be done with 10 repetitions.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Playing e-sports games for at least 1 year
• Playing a type of game played using a computer

Exclusion Criteria

• Having any active or chronic disease
• Having a history of injury involving the musculoskeletal system
• Having a congenital/acquired mental or physical disability that would prevent participation in the study
• Having cooperation problems
• Using sleeping pills due to sleep problems

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 30 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Bahçeşehir University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Okan Sahin

Principal Investigator, PT, PhD (c)

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Okan Şahin, PT, MSc

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Istanbul Health and Technology University

Locations

Bahçeşehir University

Istanbul, Turkey, Turkey (Türkiye)

Countries

Turkey (Türkiye)

Other Identifiers

EATL-2025

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id