Gaming Supplements: Levelled Up by the E-Sports Industry

Shaped by the world of sports and nutrition, the gaming supplement market has outgrown its reputation as a niche market and is growing rapidly alongside the gaming community (1). The development and commercialisation of the exciting world of E-sports has created a new consumer segment that will only continue to grow as various companies and brands enter this emerging space. 

What Are Gaming Supplements?

 Gaming supplements are best regarded as a modern application of nootropics, also referred to as cognitive enhancers, that boost concentration, alertness, and eye-hand coordination, consequently enhancing the performance of professional and casual gamers. Gaming supplements are marketed in a way that highlights the product's ability to help gamers reach their fullest potential when gaming (2).

The best gaming supplements provide effects that enhance the user's mental capabilities - improving concentration, hand-eye coordination, and memory recall. Other than Nootropics, the gaming supplements market also includes products that increase energy, vision and joint health (3).

History and Demographics of the E-Sports Supplements Market

 Gaming supplements first took shape as prescription drugs like Adderall and Ritalin. These drugs were largely unregulated in the industry's earliest video game competitions (conducted between the 80s and 90s). But as the industry grew and became more recognised worldwide, these drugs were restricted. Presently, the e-sports industry only allows complementary medicine-based products, including supplements such as Caffeine, Omega 3 and Ginkgo Biloba.

Outside of the world of esports, gaming supplements have found widespread appeal on digital streaming platforms such as Twitch, where a majority of the target audience ranges between 18 to 34 year old consumers, who have a passion for competitive gaming, either as a player or spectator (4). Gaming supplement brands like G-Fuel have expanded their customer base through endorsement partnerships with gaming influencers and seen remarkable levels of success. 

Benefits of Supplements for Gamers

Improving Cognitive Function 

Competitive gamers consistently perform split second actions during gaming sessions. As a result, a considerable amount of gaming supplement products are aimed at heightening the user's cognitive function and processing speeds (5). An example of this comes from a recent double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving a popular gaming supplement containing a nootropic aimed to boost energy and cognitive performance. The study found that gamers who consumed the supplement experienced significantly improved visual attention, motor skills, and reaction time after 60 minutes of gameplay (6).

Strengthening Vision

With gamers spending an extensive amount of time exposed to blue light, their eyesight often seems to suffer. As a result, a multitude of gaming supplements are now geared towards providing much-needed vision support (7), helping to improve contrast sensitivity, peripheral vision and recovery speed from bright flashes. The key supplement in this space is Lutein, which has been confirmed in multiple studies to provide carotenoids to protect the eyes against photosensitivity and light damage (8).

Growth of the E-Sports Industry

The rapid growth of the gaming industry is largely due to the equally rapid growth of the E-sports industry. This quickly developed a large cult following of supporters. Due to the appearance of dedicated game streaming platforms like Twitch and YouTube Gaming. This has given fans a direct connection to the players and teams (9), allowing them to spectate and directly message them.

This substantial growth has opened the door to a large amount of corporate sponsorship and investment that has further legitimised the space, giving players access to better venues, equipment and prizes. However, the level of competition has also increased drastically, placing pressure on high-level gamers to find new ways to enhance their performance. As a result, many supplement companies have begun providing products designed to boost a gamer's performance, mirroring the trend of sports supplements used by traditional athletes and other professionals.

The Future of Gaming Supplement Manufacturing

Overall it is commonly believed that the growth of the gaming supplement market is likely to continue, as the space appears to have all the attributes for success including, a dedicated consumer base and tangible health benefits that are rooted in proven effective ingredients encompassing Caffeine, Lutein and Ginkgo Biloba. But its most significant element for success continues to be the expansion of the e-sports industry, which is projected to hit $1.62 billion U.S. dollars in revenue in 2024 (10).

As the e-sports industry continues to expand, so too will the opportunities for companies to develop supplement-based products addressing emerging needs such as enhanced energy, improved vision, and greater mental alertness. Brands and businesses looking to capitalise on the potential of the gaming supplement market have the option to work with gaming supplement manufacturing companies like Lipa Pharmaceuticals to develop innovative new supplements for gamers in different delivery formats and using clinically backed active ingredients. 

Reference List

1.Nutraceuticalbusinessreview, 2021. New concepts for the growing e-sports and gaming sector. [online] Nutraceuticalbusinessreview.com. Available at: <https://www.nutraceuticalbusinessreview.com/news/article_page/New_concepts_for_the_growing_e-sports_and_gaming_sector/173761> [Accessed 13 January 2022].

2.Muszalski, C., 2021. Gaming Supplements | Improve Your Gaming Skills | MYPROTEIN™. [online] MYPROTEIN™. Available at: <https://www.myprotein.com/thezone/supplements/gaming-supplements-improve-your-gaming-skills/> [Accessed 13 January 2022].

3.Melvin, J., 2021. What Are Gaming Supplements? - TechRound. [online] TechRound. Available at: <https://techround.co.uk/guides/gamer-supplements-explained/> [Accessed 13 January 2022].

4.Jurkic, P., 2021. The Story Behind Nutrition and Supplementation in Esports. [online] E-sports Talk. Available at: <https://www.esportstalk.com/news/the-story-behind-nutrition-and-supplementation-in-esports/> [Accessed 13 January 2022].

5.Gardner, R., 2021. Growing trends in esports dietary supplements. [online] Nutritional Outlook. Available at: <https://www.nutritionaloutlook.com/view/growing-trends-in-esports-dietary-supplements> [Accessed 13 January 2022].

6.Decker, K., 2020. Esports enthusiasts target dietary supplements to up their game. 1st ed. [ebook] Nutrition Outlook, pp.1-2. Available at: <https://nutrition21.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/04142020_NO_Esports-enthusiasts-target-dietary-supplements-to-up-their-game-Page-2-of-2.pdf> [Accessed 13 January 2022].

7.Health, Q., 2020. How Gamers and Athletes Should Supplement for Eye Health. [online] Quantum Health. Available at: <https://quantumhealth.com/blog/post/how-gamers-and-athletes-should-supplement-eye-health> [Accessed 13 January 2022].

8.Roberts, J. and Dennison, J., 2015. The Photobiology of Lutein and Zeaxanthin in the Eye. Journal of Ophthalmology, [online] 2015, pp.1-8. Available at: <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4698938/> [Accessed 13 January 2022].

9.Intelligence, I., 2020. Esports Ecosystem in 2022: Key industry companies, viewership growth trends, and market revenue stats. [online] Insider Intelligence. Available at: <https://www.insiderintelligence.com/insights/esports-ecosystem-market-report/> [Accessed 13 January 2022].

10.Gough, C., 2022. Global eSports market revenue 2024 | Statista. [online] Statista. Available at: <https://www.statista.com/statistics/490522/global-esports-market-revenue/> [Accessed 13 January 2022].