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What Gamers Have In Common With Top Athletes

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the we're-all-totally-xtreme dept.

nk497 writes "It's no surprise that professional gamers aren't quite as fit as elite athletes, but they do have something in common. According to a British academic, top-level players show similar psychological attributes as top athletes, such as the ability to manage anxiety, and have reaction times on par with fighter pilots. Dr. Micklewright said, 'When I first got asked to do [the study], my initial reaction was "don't be ridiculous, gaming is nothing like sport." But the more I thought about it, the more similarities [became clear], and I became more and more convinced that it was close in many ways to sport.' While sitting in front of a screen might not have the same physical demands as running a marathon, neither do playing snooker or darts. Still, while gamers show good reflexes, their health was worse than expected, with one 20-something professional player showing the same aerobic health as a 60-year-old smoker." This story is based on a BBC radio report which you can currently hear, although that link seems to say that it won't last.

9 of 201 comments (clear)

  1. Take that back! by TheKidWho · · Score: 5, Funny

    I may be a gamer, but my right hand has the stamina of an 18 year old!

  2. Real life sports. by jack2000 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Bah, who needs em. I'm going to have better sports. With blackjack,alcohol and hookers. Infact forget the sports.

  3. Unpopular answer by DaveV1.0 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They both get overpaid to play a game.

    --
    There is no "-1 offended" or "-1 you don't agree with me" mod options for a reason.
    1. Re:Unpopular answer by Aladrin · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I was going to go for something more along the lines of "both serve no purpose to society other than entertainment", but yours fits, too.

      On the other hand, are they the 'top athletics' and 'top players' because they have the coordination and ability to handle stress, or did becoming the 'top X' cause them to gain these abilities? I suspect it's the former and they served only to train them a bit.

      I'm a diehard gamer, but I'm not foolish enough to think it's anything other than pointless entertainment, just like almost all hobbies.

      --
      "If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you." - DM
    2. Re:Unpopular answer by geekoid · · Score: 4, Insightful

      define overpaid.

      They get what they can get. They bring in a lot of money to the owners, why not charge that much?

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      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    3. Re:Unpopular answer by CannonballHead · · Score: 5, Funny

      Overpaid: the quality or attribute of someone else being paid more than I am.

    4. Re:Unpopular answer by srussia · · Score: 4, Informative

      Almost no one watches real athletes like mountain climbers, weight lifters, soldiers qualifications courses, or deep sea divers.

      Well, no true Scotsman does.

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      Set your phasers on "funky"!
  4. Gaming+exercise=??? by ndogg · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Since it's been shown that aerobic exercise can improve reaction time, I can't help but wonder how much better of gamers they would be if they also exercised a bit as well. They wouldn't need to go to a gym. Just some running, or crunches, or something on a regular basis would help, I would bet.

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    // file: mice.h
    #include "frickin_lasers.h"
  5. Re:nothing wrong here by devour · · Score: 5, Funny

    Clicked the wrong topic, eh? Don't worry, BP bashing is always relevant on the internet!