Effects of Caffeine, L-Theanine, and Diaphragmatic Breathing on Esports Players' Performance

NCT06621797 | Completed

• 2 other identifiers: Hacettepe123123456789
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 15
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether caffeine, L-theanine (a natural amino acid found in tea), and diaphragmatic breathing exercises can help improve the game performance of esports players. Esports players often need fast reaction times, high accuracy, and mental focus during competitive gaming. This study will look at how caffeine and L-theanine supplements, either separately or together, and breathing exercises impact key performance factors like reaction time and accuracy during gameplay. The goal is to determine if these strategies can help esports players perform better by reducing stress, improving concentration, and speeding up reaction times. The findings could help inform safe, effective methods to enhance cognitive and physical performance in gaming.

Conditions

Esports; Caffeine; L-theanine

Keywords

Esports; Caffeine; L-Theanine; Diaphragmatic Breathing

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Reaction Time

  The time it takes for participants to respond to visual and auditory stimuli during gaming, measured in milliseconds using Aim Lab and other standardized reaction time tests.

  Reaction time will be assessed immediately before each intervention and at two time points after each intervention (at 45 minutes and 2 hours post-intervention) on each of the three study days.

Study Arms (3)

Caffeine Only Arm

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants receive a caffeine supplement only.

Dietary Supplement: Intervention 1: Dietary Supplement - Caffeine Supplement

Caffeine + L-Theanine Arm

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants receive a combination of caffeine and L-theanine supplements.

Dietary Supplement: Intervention 2: Dietary Supplement - Caffeine + L-Theanine Supplement

Caffeine + Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises Arm

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants receive a caffeine supplement and perform diaphragmatic breathing exercises.

Behavioral: Intervention 3: Dietary Supplement - Caffeine Supplement + Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises

Interventions

Intervention 1: Dietary Supplement - Caffeine Supplement DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Participants in this group will receive a caffeine supplement (3 mg/kg body weight) taken orally 45 minutes before performance testing. No additional interventions will be administered.

Caffeine Only Arm

Intervention 2: Dietary Supplement - Caffeine + L-Theanine Supplement DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Participants in this group will receive a caffeine supplement (3 mg/kg body weight) along with L-theanine in a 1:2 ratio taken orally 45 minutes before performance testing.

Caffeine + L-Theanine Arm

Intervention 3: Dietary Supplement - Caffeine Supplement + Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises BEHAVIORAL

Participants in this group will receive a caffeine supplement (3 mg/kg body weight) 45 minutes before performance testing, followed by a 10-minute session of diaphragmatic breathing exercises.

Caffeine + Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercises Arm

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 30 Years
• Gender Eligibility Details: Male participants only are eligible to participate in this study, as all participants will be male esports players aged 18-30, based on the inclusion criteria specified.
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Male esports players aged 18-30.
• Actively involved in esports for at least 6 hours per week for a minimum of 6 months.
• Low caffeine consumption (less than 80 mg per day).
• Low L-theanine consumption (less than 100 mg per day).
• Non-smokers or those who do not use tobacco products.
• No recent history of upper extremity surgery.
• No known allergies to caffeine or L-theanine.
• No neurological, visual, or auditory disorders.
• No use of drugs or performance-enhancing supplements within the past month.
• No alcohol consumption within the past week.

You may not qualify if:

• Use of stimulant medications.
• History of upper extremity surgery.
• Diagnosed neurological, visual, or auditory disorders.
• Allergy to caffeine or L-theanine.
• Use of drugs or performance-enhancing supplements within the past month.
• Regular tobacco use.
• Consumption of alcohol in the past week.
• Inconsistent sleep patterns or difficulty following standardized sleep and hydration guidelines.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Hacettepe University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Bandirma Onyedi Eylul University

Balıkesir, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Masking Details: In this study, participants are masked to the specific intervention they are receiving during each phase. They are unaware of whether they are receiving caffeine only, caffeine combined with L-theanine, or caffeine combined with diaphragmatic breathing exercises. The researcher administering the interventions and conducting assessments is aware of the interventions, ensuring that the study remains single-blind. No other parties are masked in this trial.
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assoc. Prof

Model Details: In this randomized, single-blind crossover study, each participant will experience all three intervention conditions: (1) caffeine only, (2) caffeine combined with L-theanine, and (3) caffeine combined with diaphragmatic breathing exercises. The crossover design allows each participant to serve as their own control, reducing variability and allowing for direct comparisons between the effects of each intervention on reaction time and accuracy. Interventions are spaced apart by washout periods to ensure that the effects of one intervention do not carry over to the next. This model is ideal for studying the short-term effects of multiple interventions on esports performance.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 26, 2024
• First Posted: October 1, 2024
• Study Start: May 1, 2023
• Primary Completion: September 24, 2024
• Study Completion: September 26, 2024
• Last Updated: October 1, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)