Effects of an 8-week preventive exercise program on physical activity and cognitive performance in esports athletes — study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Introduction</jats:title> <jats:p>Physical inactivity and sedentary behavior represent significant challenges to public health and are particularly prevalent in modern recreational activities, such as video gaming. Esports, a rapidly growing area of digital gaming, is associated with prolonged periods of sitting and specific physical and cognitive demands. Emerging evidence suggests that structured physical exercise may counteract health risks while enhancing cognitive functions relevant to competitive gaming. This study examines the impact of an 8‑week exercise program on physical activity levels, cognitive performance, and well-being among amateur esports athletes.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Method</jats:title> <jats:p>A total of 24 healthy amateur esports athletes will participate in a prospective, randomized controlled trial. Participants will be randomly allocated to an intervention group (IG) or a passive control group (CG) using stratified randomization. The IG will complete an 8‑week exercise program comprising weekly supervised and home-based strength-endurance sessions. Cognitive performance, physical activity, and psychosocial outcomes will be assessed at baseline, mid-intervention, and post-intervention using cognitive tests (reaction time, Stroop and Dot Memory tasks), questionnaires (European Health Interview Survey–Physical Activity Questionnaire [EHIS-PAQ], World Health Organization Quality of Life [WHOQOL-BREF], and World Health Organization–Five Well-Being Index [WHO-5]) and accelerometer measurements. A mixed-design analysis of variance will be used for statistical analysis.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Conclusion</jats:title> <jats:p>This trial aims to offer new insights into the causal relationship between physical activity and cognitive function in amateur esports athletes and represents the first targeted prevention program of its kind in Germany.</jats:p> </jats:sec>