Professional gamers know this is the key to achieving success.
Just like chess is considered a sport, so is professional gaming — well, at least for the most part, since it’s still debated in a few countries. There are people who make a lucrative living from winning championships by pushing all these buttons. I decided to do some research and get to know it on a deeper level. Even down to what they eat!
Gamers spend hours on hours playing video games. Even though they’re sitting down and not running around in circles, it’s imperative that their daily dietary regimen is full of healthy options. Why, may you ask? Well, it takes a huge amount of stamina, cognitive function and memory to be able to compete in all of those gaming tournaments.
Are esports even relevant, though?
In 2021, the global esports market was valued at over 1.09 billion $ and it continues to grow at an exponential rate. While most of the revenue comes from advertising and sponsorships, it’s worth nothing that media rights, publisher fees, merchandise and streaming also play a role in this evaluation. According to a website called EsportsEarnings, 94 of the best professional gamers in the world earned over $1,000,000, with Denmark’s Johan Sundestein coming in first with nearly $7,000,000.
Yep, we all entered the wrong profession, guys. Unless, of course, you are a professional gamer.
Photo by Florian Olivo on Unsplash
It’s easy to fantasize about having the life of a pro gamer, but is it really that simple? Just sit in front of your computer and play? Not really, folks.
Professional players practice every single day. While some prefer to do this during the day, others are more keen to night hours. This is of course between devoting time to family and other tasks a non-pro gamer does. Depending on the game they play, they can practice together with others or solo. A lot of individuals practice with the same people they enter tournaments with, then record it so that their managers, coaches, and other professionals helping them win the game can examine what they should improve.
Professional gamers just sit all day. Why do they need a diet?
Companies and teams go as far as hiring chefs to prepare special diets for their players. According to Men’s Health, even back in 2016, Andrew Tye, who is a fine dining chef with a superb background in culinary shenanigans, began working with an esports team based in Los Angeles called Counter Logic Gaming. He’s serving them eggs or oatmeal for breakfast with a side of fruit, a whole wheat chicken wrap or something high-protein for lunch, and a colorful dinner full of protein and vegetables. He’s there to provide pro gamers with individually catered nutrient-dense meals to optimize their health. Just to remind you, this was in 2016 and esports industry has been growing constantly at an exponential rate. Just imagine the regimens professional players have to go through now!
Photo by Fredrick Tendong on Unsplash
The key to an effective esports gamer meal plan is a high-protein, low-carb diet. While carbohydrate-dense foods such as wheat, rice, pasta and potatoes are our bodies’ main source of energy, they can induce spikes in insulin and further cause sleepiness and sluggishness. Preferred foods are those high in protein and healthy fats, such as salmon, eggs, lean chicken and turkey, avocado and nuts. Fiber is also an imperative component in their diets, mainly found in all kinds of berries and leafy greens.
A diet low in carbohydrates is known to provide individuals with stable and sustainable energy.
The more glucose we consume, the more we are prone to sugar spikes which cause sleepiness and lethargy, as mentioned above. Professional gamers need this to be energized, and at the same time focused for longer periods of time without needing to take a rest in between. This actually goes for anyone who sits at a desk all day long and need to up their cognitive processes to handle multi-tasking and focus on solving complex issues. If gamers don’t have this tool, how else would they be able to run gaming marathons otherwise? It would be pretty impossible and draining for someone who doesn’t nutrition themselves properly.
Is ketogenic diet the answer for all pro gamers?
You may have heard of the ketogenic diet before, the latest lifestyle craze everyone and their mother have been talking about. You’re more than welcome to check out my Instagram profile at @ketokamila — you’ll find a substantial number of ketogenic recipes there. While skeptics continue to call it a fad diet, lots of people believe this way of eating is here to stay. With more and more research available, the ketogenic diet has been proven to enhance cognitive processes, improve memory and overall work wonders on brain function. Think people with Alzheimer’s, dementia and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Photo by Ala on Unsplash
The ketogenic diet surfaced in the 1970s, and was suggested as a treatment for children with drug-resistant epilepsy. It’s kind of counterintuitive for me that a diet is introduced after medication doesn’t work, but that’s not our focus here. Professional gamers who need energy for hours at a time may greatly benefit from this type of eating. Generally, it’s a high-fat, moderate protein and a low-carb diet, where you shouldn’t exceed 20–30g of carbohydrates per day. This would allow you to enter ketosis — a metabolic state in which your body derives energy from fats instead of glucose and sugars. Sounds complicated? It really isn’t. Once you read about it, it’s actually mind-blowing to know what our bodies can do. While there’s tons of information available online, any book by Dr. Anthony Gustin or Dr. Ryan Plowery will do.
Sample keto meals pictured. Don’t they look delicious? You’ll find the recipes at @ketokamilaEven if you are not a professional gamer, it’s worth to take a look at at the nutritional regimens of those who are professional players. While I haven’t found an official source for any team using the ketogenic diet, the buzz about it on Reddit is real. For example:
Breakfast — depending on your desired caloric intake, you can eat a few eggs with a side of bacon and avocado.
Lunch — you can choose from anything like a big salad filled with meat or fish, cauliflower rice bowl or simply veggies with a side of cream cheese.
Dinner — your options are limitless : stews, broth, mashed cauliflower, roasted vegetables and more.
It may seem difficult at first, but trust me — the person who has been on a ketogenic diet for over four years — after two weeks you’ll get the hang of it. Research on it is still in its phases of development, with some dietitians and doctors advising against it long-term due to kidney issues, cholesterol problems and nutritional deficiencies. However, I took the leap and haven’t looked back since.
You never know, maybe you can kick someone’s behind in League of Legends after adhering to the diet for at least week or two? And, of course, have more energy and feel healthier overall. That’s of course if you can say no to cheesy pizza, French baguettes and grandma’s cheesecakes. However, if being in your best shape is your optimal goal, you may want to reconsider your dietary priorities and check it out for yourself. It’s worth giving it a try.
by Kamila Hanson, Copywriter at G2A.COM