Computer Games are like 60yo chain-smoking fighter-pilots

paul · **Joined:** Sun Oct 05, 2008 4:43 pm **Posts:** 547

Researchers at the University of Essex (UK) have been studying both elite gamers and athletes and have concluded that have the reaction speeds of a fighter-pilot but the bodies of 60 year-old chain smokers.

The research was conducted by Dr Dominic Micklewright of the university's Sport, Performance and Fatigue Research Unit for a BBC Radio Four documentary entitled, ‘The eSportsmen’. One professional gamer in his 20s had the slim physique of an endurance athlete, but the lung capacity and aerobic fitness of someone four years older.

Dr Micklewright said:

Quote:

Someone of this age should be much fitter but perhaps this is the occupational hazard of the professional gamer who can spend around 10 hours per day in front of a computer screen practicing... It is always difficult to say how these things will develop, but it could have long term health implications such as an increased risk of heart disease.”

I don't think it will surprise anyone that people who spend all day gaming will be unfit, but what is sobering is the level of unfitness, and just how damaging large amounts on inactivity can be on the body.

This sort of example is also a good warning that just being the correct sort of weight and physique does not automatically make you fit.

Of course, now what we need is a professional Wii Fit league, that would sort everyone's fitness out

lajoggeuse · **Posted:** Fri Jun 18, 2010 6:49 am

Gamers won't be unfit for much longer, some of them anyway, with all the new games coming out that require a higher level of activity. It's not just the Wii, either. Both Sony and Microsoft are coming out with their versions of 'active control'.

I've seen some previews of both systems from coverage at the E3 game expo in Los Angeles and they are definitely trying to duplicate the Wii's success. I'm not sure how well it will work. Many of the Wii games work well because they use the balance board and neither of the new systems have this, just cameras. It also looks as if they are duplicating the Wii sports games, to the point where one of the presenters who was covering the expo actually called Microsoft's new games line-up 'Wii Sports' before correcting himself and calling it 'Kinect' (or trying to, anyway, as he was having problems pronouncing it).

Nintendo is also coming out with a new addition to Lezend of Zelda series that requires a very active use of the Wiimote and nunchunk.

Maybe in the future there may end up beinging two types of gamers: those who play in the classic, sedentary style, and those who play in the more fit style.

qwertygirl264 · **Joined:** Sun Oct 25, 2009 9:17 pm **Posts:** 54

...so maybe the wii fit age is more accurate than we thought? :lol: