Abstract
High consumption of caffeinated energy drinks is increasingly common among competitive video gamers. This study investigates whether the volume of daily caffeinated energy drink consumption is associated with cognitive processing speed and tournament win-rates.
Methods: We collected self-report survey and performance data from a registry of 4,200 registered professional e-sports competitors (aged 16–22, predominantly male) affiliated with a single major national gaming league in South Korea. Correlation analysis was used to examine the relationship between energy drink consumption, reaction times, and league rankings.
Findings: High daily caffeine consumption was associated with slightly faster baseline reaction times but also with significantly higher rates of hand tremors and lower tournament win-rates over a 12-month period.
Interpretation: The results suggest that while caffeine provides a transient boost to basic processing speed, it may impair fine motor control and strategic performance. These findings could inform team dietary guidelines and health policies in professional gaming.
Using Item B, outline one weakness of the sample used in this study.
201 exam-style questions on OCR A Level Psychology Planning and conducting research. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.