Experts list their top 7 nutrition and productivity tips for esports players

For pro gamers it can be a challenge to practice hard and reach your best performance while doing everything else to ensure you’re in tip-top shape. What if there were small tweaks you could make to your daily regime that would help you optimise diet and productivity, that resulted in improvements in play?

We’ve teamed up with leading dietician and productivity experts for tips and tricks on how to be a more productive gamer. Lucy Jones MRES BSC Hons RD MBDA Consultant Dietitian (left) and Grace Marshall, Productivity Coach (right) share their advice on how to be healthier while gaming.

1. Take micro breaks

Micro breaks are short, quick breaks that can take as little as one minute, but help you refresh your attention and keep your focus. Try stretching, running up and down the stairs, jumping on a trampoline, even a few quick star jumps. You’ll be surprised at the difference it makes.

2. Reduce ‘decision fatigue’ by thinking ahead

During gaming, players are under pressure to make numerous tactical decisions which can be mentally taxing and cause fatigue. This also leaves us with less headspace for decision outside of games. Reduce decision fatigue by thinking ahead and planning what you’re going to eat and when you’re going to take breaks.

3. Keep a cool head

‘Game rage’ is real and affects us all, but there are some tips for handling it and getting back to your ‘A game’ quickly. Learn to label the mood and recognise when you’re not thinking clearly. This simple trick reactivates the logical and creative sides of your brain.

4. Try mindfulness

Similar to the advice above, practicing mindfulness is proven to have many benefits, from increased focused to a decrease in stress. Mindfulness apps such as Headspace, Calm and Buddhify offer guided meditation and are great for those three-minute breaks.

5. Tweak your diet

Whilst we already know that healthy food leaves us feeling more energised, highly processed foods are often easier to grab and go and can give us a quick pick me up but having too many added sugars can result in an energy slump shortly after – this is not good for gaming.

Getting nutritious food into your diet can be easier than you think. Why not reach for nut butter on seeded crackers or vegetable sticks as a snack, or try baked beans on toast as more of a meal?

6. Try replacement meals

If you don’t have time to prepare a healthy meal, try a nutritional meal replacement like Soylent (others are available). Replacements like Soylent have been engineered to be nutritionally complete, containing the protein, vitamins and minerals you need for a meal. It’s an alternative to other snack-based foods, for example pizza, and was recently used by Team Endpoint at the Insomnia63 CSGO tournament.

7. Avoid skipping meals

Long gaps between eating episodes resulting in dips in blood glucose which can affect mental performance. A challenging time for food and nutrition is when we first wake, especially as time is often short before training. This can mean that breakfast is skipped in favour of caffeine or energy drinks.

Going for the Café Mocha will give you 150mg Caffeine too so can replace your morning energy drink, providing more rounded nutrition. You could also try taking a B complex vitamin supplement to mimic the levels found in the energy drinks.

Thanks to Soylent for supplying this article